Long-term effects of a computer-based nutritional training program for inpatient hospital care

Rationale

A previous short-term study showed that a computer-based training in eating and nutrition increased the probability for hospital inpatients at undernutrition (UN) risk to receive nutritional treatment and care without increasing overtreatment (providing nutritional treatment to those not at UN risk).

The aim of this study was to investigate if a computer-based training in eating and nutrition influences the precision in nutritional treatment and care in a longer-term perspective.

Method

A preintervention and postintervention study was conducted with a cross-sectional design at each time points (baseline and 7 months postintervention). Hospital inpatients > 18 years old at baseline (2013; n = 201) and follow-up (2014; n = 209) were included. A computer-based training was implemented during a period of 3 months with 297 (84%) participating registered nurses and nurse assistants. Undernutrition risk was screened for using the minimal eating observation and nutrition form-version II. Nutritional treatment and care was recorded using a standardized protocol.

Results

The share of patients at UN risk that received energy-dense food (+ 25.2%) and dietician consultations (+ 22.3%) increased between baseline and follow-up, while fewer received oral nutritional supplements (-18.9%). "Overtreatment" (providing nutritional treatment to those not at UN risk) did not change between baseline and follow-up.

Conclusion

The computer-based training increased the provision of energy-dense food and dietician consultations to patients at UN risk without increasing overtreatment of patients without UN risk.