Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Nutrition

Committee Chair

Tracy Bruen

Committee Member

Karen Ringwald-Smith

Committee Member

Kristy Gibbons

Abstract

Introduction: Malnutrition is a worldwide problem that affects the patient’s overall health. Malnutrition often goes undiagnosed, especially when it comes to over nutrition. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition refers to the deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.1 Methods: A quality improvement (QI) study was conducted between November 1st 2023 to March 15th 2024 at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. QI consisted of a detailed list of the outpatient clinic patients seen within this time frame. A report, called St Jude Nutrition Risk Report, was created through EPIC database and the IT department at St. Jude. Criteria for malnutrition was based on the Pediatric Malnutrition Tool of the Texas Children Hospital Pediatric Nutrition Guide. See Appendix A. Medical charts were accessed to identify any RD diagnosis and interventions given. Data remained confidential and it was de-identified. Results: There were a total of 3,766 patients who had an outpatient clinic appointment within the data collection time frame. Out of these, 1,887 (50%) patients did not meet the criteria for malnutrition. A total of 1,465 (39%) patients met the criteria for overnutrition based on the screening conducted. There were 422 (11%) patients who did meet criteria for malnutrition. The clinic that had the highest rates of lack of contact with a dietitian or who did not have any nutrition interventions based on the diagnosis given was the hematology clinic (HEM). Conclusions: In this QI, there were a total of 3,766 patients who met the criteria for both undernutrition and overnutrition. Out of these a total of 375 (20%) were seen by a dietitian based on the screening criteria for malnutrition. See Appendix A. This QI helped advocate for more dietitians on staff. There is a big need for dietitians in clinical settings to prevent patients being overlooked.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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