There has been a 59 per cent increase in the numbers of patients in hospitals with or at significant risk of malnutrition since 2012, according to a new study.
The analysis, from the Irish Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (IrSPEN), found there are more than 220,000 patients with serious nutritional issues due to the effects of diseases such as cancer or multiple chronic diseases that affect many older people.
The increase represents a doubling of annual cost to the health system at €2.8 billion since a previous study was published by IrSPEN in 2012.
Niamh Rice, IrSPEN director and consultant nutritionist, led the research. She said although the highest concentration of patients with malnutrition is found in those arriving in hospital, most people suffering from the effects of ‘disease-related’ malnutrition reside in the community, with one in 20 of Irish adults affected at any time.
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“Identifying patients struggling to maintain nutritional intake is critically important, since the effects of undernutrition has a relatively rapid and detrimental impact on the underlying disease,” she said.
“Patients with malnutrition cost approximately three times more per annum, since they are more likely to be hospitalised, have a 30 per cent longer average length of stay and a higher risk of complications, particularly infections, and far more use of community healthcare resources.”
Ms Rice said the significant increases witnessed since the 2012 study were driven principally by demographic changes.
She pointed out that since then, the percentage of the population over 65 has increased from 11 to 16 per cent, now standing at 833,000. Older people are five times more likely to develop malnutrition than younger adults, she said.
“Although most of this can be explained by higher rates of serious illness in older people, being older also means people are less able to cope with the added stressor of inadequate dietary intake when ill,” Ms Rice added.
“Also, an older population increases cancer prevalence, and cancer patients are the most likely category of patients to experience malnutrition while in hospital.”
IrSPEN has recommended greater resourcing in the area of nutritional care as well as integrated screening.
“We remain chronically short of dietitians to initiate the right nutrition support at the earliest possible sign that a patient is failing to maintain a good nutritional intake,” Ms Rice said.
“Greater resourcing is needed of nutritional care for those at highest risk – and this needs to be expanded beyond hospitals and into home and community care settings.
“We need to integrate screening and access to dietetic care for the 60,000 patients receiving home care support, since this is a key group that is at higher risk of malnutrition,” she said.
The malnutrition findings were presented as part of IrSPEN’s biannual conference taking place in Dublin on Tuesday.
