Hospitals created a special nutrition team to help patients who are at high risk of not eating enough while in the hospital. These patients include those in intensive care, people with diabetes, and those with learning disabilities. Over one year, the team helped 416 patients get better nutrition support. The new program was faster at helping patients—doctors could see a nutrition expert in just 1.5 days instead of 2.1 days. Most patients didn’t lose dangerous amounts of weight while getting this specialized help, suggesting the program is working well to keep patients healthier during their hospital stay.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether a specialized nutrition team in the hospital could better help patients who are at high risk of not getting enough nutrition while admitted
  • Who participated: 416 hospital patients including those recovering from intensive care, people with long hospital stays (over 3 weeks), people with learning disabilities, those with diabetes, and patients with wounds being treated
  • Key finding: The new nutrition program helped patients get faster care (1.5 days instead of 2.1 days) and prevented serious weight loss in all patient groups studied, with weight loss ranging from 1% to 4% depending on the group
  • What it means for you: If you or a loved one is hospitalized and at risk for poor nutrition, having a specialized nutrition expert involved in your care may help prevent dangerous weight loss and support better recovery. However, more research is needed to fully understand all the benefits

The Research Details

Researchers looked at how well a new nutrition service worked at a hospital from July 2022 to July 2023. They created a special team of nutrition experts to focus on patients most likely to have nutrition problems during their hospital stay. The team tracked how quickly patients got help after being referred to nutrition services and measured their weight when they first saw the nutrition expert and again when they left the hospital.

The study included 416 patients who were identified as needing extra nutrition help. Most patients (82%) received nutrition drinks and food by mouth, while 18% needed special nutrition delivered through a feeding tube. The researchers compared how fast patients got help under the new system versus the old system, and they looked at whether patients lost too much weight during their hospital stay.

This type of study is called a service evaluation, which means researchers were checking whether a new program actually works in real-world hospital settings rather than in a controlled research experiment.

This research matters because hospital patients who don’t get enough nutrition can have serious problems like slower healing, longer hospital stays, and more infections. By creating a specialized team that focuses on high-risk patients and responds quickly, hospitals can catch nutrition problems early and prevent them from getting worse. The faster response time (1.5 days instead of 2.1 days) might seem small, but it could make a real difference in preventing serious weight loss and helping patients recover better.

This study has some strengths: it looked at a real hospital program over a full year with a large number of patients (416), and it measured important outcomes like weight and response time. However, there are some limitations to keep in mind. Only 36% of patients had their weight measured at both the beginning and end of their hospital stay, which means the weight loss numbers might not tell the whole story. The researchers suggest that measuring other things like hand grip strength in the future could give a better picture of how well patients are doing nutritionally.

What the Results Show

The new nutrition program successfully reduced the time patients waited to see a nutrition expert. Under the old system, patients waited an average of 2.1 days, but with the new program, they got help in just 1.5 days. This faster response appears to have helped prevent serious weight loss.

Among the 150 patients who had their weight measured at the start and end of their hospital stay, weight loss was modest across all groups. Patients recovering from intensive care lost an average of 2.5% of their body weight, those with diabetes lost 2%, those with learning disabilities lost 1.7%, and those with safeguarding concerns lost 1%. The tissue viability group (patients with wounds being treated) had the highest weight loss at 4%. Importantly, no patient in any group lost more than 5% of their body weight, which is considered a dangerous amount of weight loss in a hospital setting.

The majority of patients (82%) were able to eat regular food and drink nutrition supplements by mouth, which is generally better than needing feeding tubes. Only 18% of patients needed enteral feeding (nutrition delivered through a tube). This suggests the program was successful at helping most patients maintain their ability to eat normally.

The program successfully identified and served patients at highest risk of nutrition problems. The inclusion criteria worked well to target the right patients—those in intensive care recovery, those with long hospital stays, people with learning disabilities, those with diabetes, and patients with wounds. The fact that the program could serve 416 patients in one year shows it was able to handle a significant patient load while maintaining quality care.

Before this specialized program was created, patients at high risk of nutrition problems were reviewed by general ward dietitians who had limited experience with complex cases. The new program represents an improvement because it brings together nutrition experts who specialize in these difficult situations. The faster response time (1.5 days versus 2.1 days) suggests the new system is more efficient at getting help to patients quickly, which may be one reason why serious weight loss was prevented.

The biggest limitation is that only 36% of patients had their weight measured at both the beginning and end of their hospital stay. This means the weight loss numbers might not be accurate for all patients, and the results could be misleading. The researchers suggest that in the future, measuring other things like hand grip strength or arm muscle size would give a better picture of how well patients are doing nutritionally. Additionally, this study looked at only one hospital’s program, so results might be different at other hospitals. The study didn’t have a comparison group of patients who didn’t receive the specialized nutrition service, which would have made it easier to prove the program actually caused the improvements.

The Bottom Line

If you are hospitalized and fall into a high-risk group for nutrition problems (such as recovering from intensive care, having a long hospital stay, having diabetes, or having a learning disability), ask your doctor to refer you to a nutrition specialist. The evidence suggests that specialized nutrition care can help prevent dangerous weight loss and support better recovery. Confidence level: Moderate—the results are promising but more research is needed.

This research is most relevant for: patients at high risk of nutrition problems during hospital stays, hospital administrators and doctors planning nutrition services, and families of hospitalized patients who want to ensure their loved ones get proper nutrition support. This research is less relevant for people who are generally healthy and not at risk of nutrition problems during short hospital stays.

The benefits of specialized nutrition care may appear quickly—within the first few days of hospital admission when the nutrition expert can assess your needs and make recommendations. However, preventing serious weight loss is an ongoing process throughout your hospital stay, so the full benefits develop over weeks of hospitalization.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you’re a hospital patient or caregiver, track daily weight measurements (if available) and note the date you first meet with a nutrition specialist. Record any changes in appetite, ability to eat, or nutrition supplements recommended. This creates a clear picture of nutrition progress during hospitalization.
  • Work with your nutrition specialist to set realistic eating goals, such as consuming a certain number of nutrition drinks per day or eating three small meals. Use the app to log what you actually eat and drink, and share this information with your nutrition team to help them adjust recommendations.
  • Continue tracking weight and nutrition intake for at least 2-4 weeks after hospital discharge to ensure you’re maintaining healthy nutrition at home. Set reminders to eat regular meals and stay hydrated, and flag any concerning weight loss (more than 5% of body weight) to report to your doctor.

This research describes one hospital’s nutrition program and should not be considered medical advice. If you are hospitalized or concerned about nutrition, speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian who can assess your individual situation. The findings from this study are promising but represent one hospital’s experience—results may vary at other facilities. Always follow your healthcare team’s recommendations for nutrition and medical care.