Scoping review protocol: effectiveness of individualised nutritional care plans to reduce malnutrition during hospitalisation and up to 3 months after discharge

Abstract

IntroductionMore than 20% of patients are malnourished after hospitalisation. Malnutrition may negatively impact patients’ outcomes as it increases the risk of complications, morbidity, mortality and loss of function. However, hospital-initiated transitional care can improve some outcomes in hospitalised adult patients. The objective of this scoping review is to map the literature that assesses the effectiveness of individualised nutritional care plans to reduce malnutrition during hospitalisation and for the first 3 months after discharge.Methods and analysisThis protocol is based on the framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley. The search strategy was developed by a medical librarian. We will search for relevant literature from the following databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Embase. We will also search the reference lists of included studies. Two independent reviewers will screen abstracts and full articles in parallel, from the included studies using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist facilitated the preparation of this research protocol. The scoping review will provide a narrative account of the findings from the existing literature through thematic content analysis of the extracted literature.Ethics and disseminationSince all data will be obtained from publicly available materials, research ethics approval is not required for this scoping review. The research findings will be submitted for publication in a relevant open-access peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.

Effectiveness of individualised nutritional care plans to reduce malnutrition during hospitalisation and up to 3 months post-discharge: a systematic scoping review

“…A systematic scoping review methodology was employed, based on an a priori published protocol (see online supplemental file 1 ). 33 Briefly, this scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, 34 which was extended by Levac et al 35 and the Joanna Briggs Institute. 36 It adhered to the Extension for Scoping Reviews of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: Checklist and Explanation.…”

“…As recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute, 36 a three-step search strategy was used in this review and published in the protocol. 33 Literature search strategies were developed using medical subject headings browser and text words related to nutrition, individualised care plans and transitional care. 33 EMBASE, MEDLINE via PubMed, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched in April 2019, and the search was updated in January 2020.…”