title: Taking action against malnutrition in Asian healthcare settings: an initiative of a Northeast Asia Study Group.
abstract: Malnutrition is common in Asia, especially among people who are critically ill and/or older. Study results from China, Japan, and Taiwan show that malnutrition or risk of malnutrition is found in up to 30% of communitydwelling people and as much as 50% of patients admitted to hospitals-with prevalence even higher among those older than 70 years. In Asia, malnutrition takes substantial tolls on health, physical function, and wellbeing of people affected, and it adds huge financial burdens to healthcare systems. Attention to nutrition, including protein intake, can help prevent or delay disease- and age-related disabilities and can speed recovery from illness or surgery. Despite compelling evidence and professional guidelines on appropriate nutrition care in hospital and community settings, patients' malnutrition is often overlooked and under-treated in Asian healthcare, as it is worldwide. Since the problem of malnutrition continues to grow as many Asian populations become increasingly "gray", it is important to take action now. A medical education (feedM.E.) Global Study Group developed a strategy to facilitate best-practice hospital nutrition care: screen-intervene-supervene. As members of a newly formed feedM.E. Northeast Asia Study Group, we endorse this care strategy, guiding clinicians to screen each patient's nutritional status upon hospital admission or at initiation of care, intervene promptly when nutrition care is needed, and supervene or follow-up routinely with adjustment and reinforcement of nutrition care plans, including post-discharge. To encourage best-practice nutrition in Asian patient care settings, our paper includes a simple, stepwise Nutrition Care Pathway (NCP) in multiple languages.
authors.affiliation: Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery and Palliative Medicine, Toyoake, Japan. Email: t-gucci30219@herb.ocn.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashiguchi
authors.affiliation: National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, Obu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Abbott Nutrition, Research and Development, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ling Hui
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Claytor
authors.affiliation: Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Community Healthcare and Geriatrics, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzuya
authors.affiliation: Hyogo College of Medicine, Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan.
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.affiliation: National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Graduate Institute of Long-Term Care; National Taiwan University Hospital (Bei-Hu), Department of Community and Family Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shyh-Dye
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Geneva Medical University, Honorary in Department of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Kumamoto Daiichi Hospital, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsushi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nogami
authors.affiliation: Jinling Hospital, Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling, China.
authors.forename: Nanhai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D044623:Nutrition Therapy / Q000379:methods; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016896:Treatment Outcome