title: 'We are all time poor' -- is routine nutrition screening of older patients feasible?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite clinical guidelines that recommend routine nutrition screening of older patients, this does not generally occur in the Australian general practice setting. This study aimed to identify perceived barriers and opportunities to implementing nutrition screening of older people in general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five in-depth individual interviews were conducted with general practitioners, general practice registrars and practice nurses. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Observations were performed to identify opportunities to conduct nutrition screening within general practice workflow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary identified barrier to screening related to time constraints, which was further validated by the observational component of the study. The main opportunity for screening was seen to be within the existing Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule Primary Care Item, 'Health assessment for people aged 75 years and older'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incorporation of a validated and short nutrition screening instrument into the existing Health assessment was identified as the most feasible way to encourage the uptake of nutrition screening in general practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. ahh308@uowmail.edu.au
authors.forename: Aliza Haslinda
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hamirudin
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charlton
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonney
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodgkins
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milosavljevic
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*