Nutritional Screening in Older Individuals

Overview

Hospital-based case management programs and home hospitalization services following the risk stratification model of Kaiser Permanente and Kings Fund select an estimated 5% of older individuals living in the community who are at high risk of hospitalization and adverse outcomes. The objective of these services is to avoid deterioration and hospital admissions or visits to the emergency services by regular follow-up, proactive home visits and support of self-care . The prevalence of malnutrition in patients selected using this model of care is unknown.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition, using the MNA, in this high-risk community living population, and to explore risk factors that could identify subgroups of individuals at higher risk. This study was performed in individuals included in a Case Management (CM) Program lead by the Telemedicine Unit of a tertiary university hospital in Valencia. Patients admitted to the hospital with two or more hospital admissions for medical reasons in the previous year are detected by a computerized system and included in the program, an integrated care intervention developed for patients with complex multimorbidity using patient-centred education activities and integrated care interventions, with the support of a Hospital at Home Unit (HHU). Telephone follow-ups by case manager nurses are focused on identifying problems and detecting disease exacerbations. The main aim of this program is to avoid hospital admissions and reduce the number of visits to emergency services

Conditions

Eligibility

Outcomes