Identifying and managing patients with disease-related malnutrition in primary care

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#Community nursing, #Nutrition

Disease-related malnutrition can be challenging to treat. A disease, its treatment or the consequences of treatment can cause patients to experience a reduction in appetite and the desire to eat, resulting in an inability to consume sufficient food and drink to maintain or improve nutritional status. This article summarises a four-step approach to identifying and managing patients with disease-related malnutrition, and details how community and primary care nurses can effectively identify and manage the underlying causes of malnutrition and assist in advising on dietary modifications to enable enhanced patient outcomes.

Who is this resource for?

This resource is aimed at nurses and nursing support workers across all settings and levels of practice, including students of health, social work and care professions.

Why you should read this article

to recognise the significant clinical consequences and potential health and social care costs of untreated malnutrition

to be aware of a four-step approach to identifying and managing patients with disease-related malnutrition in primary care

to count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)

to contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

Authors

Anne Holdoway

Consultant dietitian - BMI Bath Clinic, Bath, Somerset, England, education officer for the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and chair of the UK Managing Adult Malnutrition in the Community panel