The State of Nutrition Support Teams and Update on Current Models for Providing Nutrition Support Therapy to Patients

Impact and Outcomes of Nutritional Support Team Intervention in Patients with Gastrointestinal Disease in the Intensive Care Unit

“…This shows a gradual decrease, because 44% and 65% of participants reported that they had formal NSTs in years 2005 and 1995, respectively. [20,21] Unlike this misconception with formal NSTs causing increased costs with minimal benefits, many studies [22,23] actually showed that when a proper management is done by an NST, there are significant improvements in the nutritional status of patients and in clinical outcomes, and it even leads to reductions in the expenses for hospitals. [14] Based on these findings, NST intervention for critically ill patients with GI disease would be expected to reduce mortality and morbidity.…”

What is the Significance of a Physician Shortage in Nutrition Medicine?

“…performed a survey in 2008, to which there were 698 respondents. 2 Respondents indicated that an intact MNT was present in 42% of centers. An MNT was more likely to be present in a university center than a community hospital (63% vs 28%, respectively).…”

“…Overall, 43% of intact MNT's indicated that a PNE was the leader of their team. 2 Physician attendance at national nutrition meetings has been poor over the past decade, and there is evidence that physicians are often dissatisfied with the level of programming. An A.S.P.E.N.…”

“…An MNT was more likely to be present in a university center than a community hospital (63% vs 28%, respectively). 2 A PNE was part of the designated MNT 72% of the time. One-third of those designated MNT physicians were board certified in nutrition (36%).…”

“…Of those physicians participating in MNT activities, <25% of their time was spent on clinical nutrition. 2 The specialty of the participating PNE was gastroenterology for 31% of the MNTs, surgery in 28%, and critical care 15%. Another 12% in comprised general medicine, specialists, or endocrinologists.…”