New Strategies Needed to Tackle Malnutrition in New Zealand

7th November 2011

The Skeleton in the Closet: New Strategies Needed to Tackle Malnutrition among New Zealand’s Most Vulnerable, Warns International Expert

New Zealand needs to develop new strategies to prevent rising levels of malnutrition among its most vulnerable people as the health care system struggles to cope with challenging economic circumstances, a visiting international expert in medical nutrition will warn healthcare professionals and key opinion leaders this week.

Dr Rebecca Stratton, from the Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, UK and Nutricia UK will discuss at two meetings in Auckland (9th November) and Wellington (10th November) that during an economic downturn the lack of understanding about the clinical and economic benefits of treating malnutrition may lead to health care organisations limiting the use of oral nutritional supplements. This impacts groups who struggle to eat an adequate diet such as the elderly and those suffering from specific medical conditions such as dementia, alzheimer’s, cancer and cystic fibrosis.

Dr Stratton who has over 100 publications on nutrition and played a key part in the development of a universal screening tool for malnutrition says: ‘Disease-related malnutrition is a prevalent condition that is exceedingly costly to society, yet despite this, most healthcare systems spend a very small proportion, typically less than 3% of national prescribing budgets on treating malnutrition. Poor recognition of malnutrition may lead to healthcare managers limiting the use of treatments to save money’.

Dr Stratton will discuss new work from the University of Southampton, presented at the recent European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), which demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of ready-made oral nutritional supplements in care home residents; by improving nutritional intake over 3 months, use of oral nutritional supplements significantly improves quality of life compared to the use of food and dietary advice alone.

In addition, new evidence indicates significantly fewer hospital admissions with the use of ready-made (liquid) oral nutritional supplements.

Dr Stratton explains the necessary strategies: ‘To make sure that those at risk of malnutrition are identified and treated appropriately, there is a need to embed national and local policies into routine clinical practice. Along with adequate funding, these policies could drive mandatory malnutrition screening and the appropriate treatment of malnourished patients. The use of oral nutritional supplements (ready-made liquids) is the only form of oral nutrition support with a substantial evidence-base.’

Dr Stratton concludes: ‘We need to implement these strategies. Stopping the inappropriate use of oral nutritional supplements will save money but failing to use supplements or stopping supplements in those that need them will increase costs as patients suffer the consequences of malnutrition. We know that spending on oral nutritional supplements appropriately for those who need them can enable financial savings as individual patients’ outcome and recovery is improved.’

Dr Stratton is on her way to Melbourne to present this new evidence to the Australasian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (AuSPEN) being held this week.

ENDS

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