The Mini Nutrition Assessment Tool: A step in the right direction
Sydney South West Area Health Service
This project was entered in the 2007 NSW Health Awards, New Risks and Opportunities category.
Contact: Wendy Jamieson
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of patients at risk of malnutrition in a sub-acute hospital ward. Also, to evaluate the efficiency and appropriateness of using the Mini Nutrition Assessment (MNA) on a sub-acute rehabilitation/geriatric ward. One hundred and eight patients admitted to the ward were enrolled in the study. The screening part of the MNA tool was performed according to the directions outlined and patients were classified as being “at risk” or “not at risk” based on the score obtained. Those at risk had the assessment part of the MNA completed by the dietitian. The combined screening and assessment scores determined whether the patient was malnourished or not with dietetic intervention applied accordingly. The percentage of patients referred to the dietitian during this study was compared with statistics prior to the study. Focus groups were conducted with the nursing, allied health and medical staff to assess the appropriateness of implementing this tool as standard screening procedure on the ward. Seventy Two patients (67%) on the ward were classified as “at risk” of malnutrition and 50% were malnourished. Prior to this study only 23.5% of patients on the ward were seen by a dietitian. Results of the focus groups favoured the use of the tool on the ward. Sixty seven percent of patients admitted to the ward were at risk of malnutrition. The MNA tool appears to be a simple, non-invasive and cost effective tool for assessing nutritional status of rehabilitation/geriatric hospital inpatients.
The full entry document can be downloaded in the formats listed below:
The Mini Nutrition Assessment Tool: A step in the right direction (39KB)
The Mini Nutrition Assessment Tool: A step in the right direction (28KB)
Download the Presentation (218K) from the 2007 NSW Health Expo
