Transmural Nutritional Support
Background
Starting date: 01/01/2006 Background:Approximately 25-40% of patients admitted to hospitals are malnourished. Disease related undernutrition is known to have adverse health consequences: reduction of muscle mass, respiratory function and immune function, impaired wound healing and higher care complexity. This results in increased morbidity and mortality, lengthened stay in hospital and increasing costs of health care. In the Netherlands the general policy is to discharge hospital patients as soon as possible. This implies a shorter hospital stay than in earlier years. Given the decreasing length of hospital stay, the problem of disease related undernutrition is shifting to the outpatient clinic and the community. Although the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of nutrition intervention of hospital patients has been proven, the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prolonged intervention (after discharge from hospital) remains to be studied.