Hospital finds nutrition care pays off on all counts, cutting costs, complications, mortality.
Identifying and treating malnutrition early reduces hospital stays, complications, and mortality. St. Francis Healthcare Services in Wilmington, DE, reports a two-year cost avoidance of $2.4 million from the reduced length of stay attributed to its malnutrition program. The program includes a screen to identify patients at high-risk of developing malnutrition and an algorithm for aggressive restorative care.
D000465:Algorithms; D003363:Cost Control; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003691:Delaware; D004045:Dietary Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005521:Food Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D018570:Risk Assessment