Incidence and outcomes of in-hospital nutritional decline: A prospective observational cohort study in adult patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hospital malnutrition is associated with higher healthcare costs and worse outcomes. Only a few prospective studies have evaluated trends in nutritional status during an acute stay, but these studies were limited by the short timeframe between nutrition assessments. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in nutritional status, incidence of hospital-acquired malnutrition (HAM), and the associated risk factors and outcomes in acute adult patients admitted for >14 days. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted in two medical and two surgical wards in a tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Nutrition assessments were performed using the Subjective Global Assessment at baseline (day eight) and weekly until discharge. Nutritional decline was defined as a change from well-nourished to moderate/severe malnutrition (HAM) or from moderate to severe malnutrition (further decline) >14 days after admission. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty patients were included in this study (58.5% male; median age 67.0 years (IQR 24.4), median length of stay 23.5 days (IQR 14)). At baseline, 70.8% (92/130) of patients were well-nourished. Nutritional decline occurred in 23.8% (31/130), with 28.3% (26/92) experiencing HAM. Of the patients with moderate malnutrition on admission (n = 30), 16% (5/30) continued to decline to severe malnutrition. Improvement in nutritional status from moderate and severe malnutrition to well-nourished was 18.4% (7/38). Not being prescribed the correct nutrition care plan within the first week of admission was an independent predictor of in-hospital nutritional decline or remaining malnourished (OR 2.3 (95% CI 1.0-5.1), p = 0.039). In-hospital nutritional decline was significantly associated with other hospital-acquired complications (OR 3.07 (95% CI 1.1-8.9), p = 0.04) and longer length of stay (HR 0.63 (95% CI 0.4-0.9), p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: This study found a high rate of nutritional decline in acute patients, highlighting the importance of repeated nutrition screening and assessments during hospital admission and proactive interdisciplinary nutrition care to treat or prevent further nutritional decline.

Mealtimes matter: Measuring the hospital mealtime environment and care practices to identify opportunities for multidisciplinary improvement.

AIMS: Hospital inpatients often eat poorly and report barriers related to mealtime care. This study aimed to measure and describe the mealtime environment and care practices across 16 acute wards in a tertiary hospital to identify opportunities for improvement. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional audit was undertaken over a two-month period in 2021. A structured audit tool was used at one breakfast, lunch and dinner on each ward to observe the mealtime environment (competing priorities, lighting, tray table clutter) and care practices (positioning, tray within reach, mealtime assistance). Data were analysed descriptively (%, count), with analyses by meal period and ward to identify variation in practices. RESULTS: A total of 892 observations were completed. Competing priorities (59%), poor lighting (43%) and cluttered tray tables (41%) were common. Mealtime assistance was required by 300 patients (33.6%; 5.9% eating assistance, 27.7% set-up assistance) and was provided within 10 min for 203 (66.7%) patients. A total of 54 patients (18.0%) did not receive the required assistance. We observed 447 (50.2%) patients lying in bed at meal delivery, with 188 patients (21.1%) sitting in a chair. Competing priorities, poor lighting, poor patient positioning and delayed assistance were worse at breakfast. Mealtime environments and practices varied between wards. CONCLUSION: This audit demonstrates opportunities to improve mealtimes in our hospital. Variation between wards and meal periods suggest that improvements need to be tailored to the ward-specific barriers and enablers. Dietitians are ideally placed to lead a collaborative approach alongside the wider multidisciplinary team to improve mealtime care and optimise intake.

Exploring hospital mealtime experiences of older inpatients, caregivers and staff using photovoice methods.

AIM: To gather and understand the experience of hospital mealtimes from the perspectives of those receiving and delivering mealtime care (older inpatients, caregivers and staff) using photovoice methods to identify touchpoints and themes to inform the co-design of new mealtime interventions. METHODS: This study was undertaken on acute care wards within a single metropolitan hospital in Brisbane, Australia in 2019. Photovoice methods involved a researcher accompanying 21 participants (10 older patients, 5 caregivers, 4 nurses and 2 food service officers) during a mealtime and documenting meaningful elements using photographs and field notes. Photo-elicitation interviews were then undertaken with participants to gain insight into their experience. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, involving a multidisciplinary research team including a consumer. RESULTS: Themes were identified across the three touchpoints: (1) preparing for the meal (the juggle, the anticipation), (2) delivering/receiving the meal (the rush, the clutter and the wait) and (3) experiencing the meal (the ideal, pulled away and acceptance). Despite a shared understanding of the importance of meals and shared vision of 'the ideal' mealtime, generally this was a time of tension, missed cares and dissatisfaction for staff, patients and caregivers. There was stark contrast in some aspects of mealtime experience, with simultaneous experiences of 'the rush' (staff) and 'the wait' (patients and caregivers). There was an overwhelming sense of acceptance and lack of control over change from all. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified themes during hospital mealtimes which have largely gone unaddressed in the design of mealtime interventions to date. This research may provide a framework to inform the future co-design of mealtime interventions involving patients, caregivers and multidisciplinary staff, centred around these key touchpoints. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Mealtimes are experienced differently by patients, caregivers, nurses and food service officers across three key touchpoints: preparing for, delivering/receiving and experiencing the meal. Improving mealtime experiences therefore necessitates a collaborative approach, with co-designed mealtime improvement programs that include specific interventions focusing each touchpoint. Our data suggest that improvements could focus on reducing clutter, clarifying mealtime roles and workflows and supporting caregiver involvement. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? Mealtimes are the central mechanism to meet patients' nutritional needs in hospital; however, research consistently shows that many patients do not eat enough to meet their nutritional requirements and that they often do not receive the mealtime assistance they require. Interventions to improve hospital mealtimes have, at best, shown only modest improvements in nutritional intake and mealtime care practices. Gaining deeper insight into the mealtime experience from multiple perspectives may identify new opportunities for improvement. What were the main findings? Patients, caregivers and staff have shared ideals of comfort, autonomy and conviviality at mealtimes, but challenges of complex teamwork and re-prioritisation of mealtimes in the face of prevailing power hierarchies make it difficult to achieve this ideal. There are three discrete touchpoints (preparing for, delivering/receiving and experiencing the meal) that require different approaches to improvement. Our data suggests a need to focus improvement on reducing clutter, clarifying mealtime roles and workflows and supporting caregivers. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? The research provides a framework for multidisciplinary teams to begin co-designing improvements to mealtime care to benefit patients, caregivers and staff, while also providing a method for researchers to understand other complex care situations in hospital. REPORTING METHOD: This manuscript is written in adherence with the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients and caregivers were involved in the conception and design of the study through their membership of the hospital mealtime reference group. A consumer researcher (GP) was involved in the team to advise on study conduct (i.e. recruitment methods and information), data analysis (i.e. coding transcripts), data interpretation (i.e. review and refinement of themes) and manuscript writing (i.e. review and approval of final manuscript).

Enhancing or impeding? The influence of digital systems on interprofessional practice and person-centred care in nutrition care systems across rehabilitation units.

AIMS: Digital health transformation may enhance or impede person-centred care and interprofessional practice, and thus the provision of high-quality rehabilitation and nutrition services. We aimed to understand how different elements and factors within existing digital nutrition and health systems in subacute rehabilitation units influence person-centred and/or interprofessional nutrition and mealtime care practices through the lens of complexity science. METHODS: Our ethnographic study was completed through an interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected from observation and interviews with patients, support persons and staff. Overall, 58 h of ethnographic field work led to observing 125 participants and interviewing 77 participants, totalling 165 unique participants. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the data with consideration of complexity science. RESULTS: We developed four themes: (1) the interplay of local context and technology use in nutrition care systems; (2) digitalisation affects staff participation in nutrition and mealtime care; (3) embracing technology to support nutrition and food service flexibility; and (4) the (in)visibility of digitally enabled nutrition care systems. CONCLUSIONS: While digital systems enhance the visibility and flexibility of nutrition care systems in some instances, they may also reduce the ability to customise nutrition and mealtime care and lead to siloing of nutrition-related activities. Our findings highlight that the introduction of digital systems alone may be insufficient to enable interprofessional practice and person-centred care within nutrition and mealtime care and thus should be accompanied by local processes and workflows to maximise digital potential.

An ethnographic study exploring person-centred nutrition care in rehabilitation units.

PURPOSE: Person-centred care (PCC) is an essential component of high-quality healthcare across professions and care settings. While research is emerging in subacute nutrition services more broadly, there is limited literature exploring the person-centredness of nutrition care in rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore person-centred nutrition care (PCNC) in rehabilitation units, as described and actioned by patients, support persons and staff. Key factors influencing PCNC were also explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ethnographic study was undertaken across three rehabilitation units. Fifty-eight hours of field work were completed with 165 unique participants to explore PCNC. Field work consisted of observations and interviews with patients, support persons and staff. Data were analysed through the approach of reflexive thematic analysis, informed by PCC theory. RESULTS: Themes generated were: (1) tensions between patient and staff goals; (2) disconnected moments of PCNC; (3) the necessity of interprofessional communication for PCNC; and (4) the opportunity for PCNC to enable the achievement of rehabilitation goals. CONCLUSIONS: PCNC was deemed important to different stakeholders but was at times hindered by a focus on profession-specific objectives. Opportunities exist to enhance interprofessional practice to support PCNC in rehabilitation. Future research should consider the system-level factors influencing PCNC in rehabilitation settings.

Understanding what matters to patients in rehabilitation was reported as essential in person-centred nutrition care (PCNC), however varying degrees of this were observed in practice, with tensions exposed between the priorities of patients and staff.Collaborative goal setting is needed to enact PCNC, placing the patient at the centre of the process, rather than focusing on pre-determined, profession-specific agendas. However, reorientating this process must coincide with consideration of influencing systems, service priorities and cultures.Nutrition and mealtime-related goals of patients should be communicated not only within clinical teams, but also with dietetic support staff to better inform interprofessional practice and PCNC.Opportunities exist to better connect nutrition and dietetic services with the broader goals and objectives of rehabilitation.

Are Malnourished Inpatients Treated by Dietitians Active Participants in Their Nutrition Care? Findings of an Exploratory Study of Patient-Reported Measures across Nine Australian Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient malnutrition is a key determinant of adverse patient and healthcare outcomes. The engagement of patients as active participants in nutrition care processes that support informed consent, care planning and shared decision making is recommended and has expected benefits. This study applied patient-reported measures to identify the proportion of malnourished inpatients seen by dietitians that reported engagement in key nutrition care processes. METHODS: A subset analysis of a multisite malnutrition audit limited to patients with diagnosed malnutrition who had at least one dietitian chart entry and were able to respond to patient-reported measurement questions. RESULTS: Data were available for 71 patients across nine Queensland hospitals. Patients were predominantly older adults (median 81 years, IQR 15) and female (n = 46) with mild/moderate (n = 50) versus severe (n = 17) or unspecified severity (n = 4) malnutrition. The median length of stay at the time of audit was 7 days (IQR 13). More than half of the patients included had two or more documented dietitian reviews. Nearly all patients (n = 68) received at least one form of nutrition support. A substantial number of patients reported not receiving a malnutrition diagnosis (n = 37), not being provided information about malnutrition (n = 30), or not having a plan for ongoing nutrition care or follow-up (n = 31). There were no clinically relevant trends between patient-reported measures and the number of dietitian reviews or severity of malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Malnourished inpatients seen by dietitians across multiple hospitals almost always receive nutritional support. Urgent attention is required to identify why these same patients do not routinely report receiving malnutrition diagnostic advice, receiving information about being at risk of malnutrition, and having a plan for ongoing nutrition care, regardless of how many times they are seen by dietitians.

Using Implementation Science in Nursing Research.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical research continues to build knowledge that can potentially improve clinical and health service outcomes; however, integrating evidence into routine care is challenging, resulting in a knowledge practice gap. The field of implementation science is a resource available for nurses to translate evidence into their practice. This article aims to provide nurses with an overview of implementation science, illustrate its value integrating evidence into practice, and show how it can be applied with high rigor in nursing research practice. DATA SOURCES: A narrative synthesis of the implementation science literature was conducted. A series of case studies were purposively selected to demonstrate the application of commonly used implementation theories, models, and frameworks across health care settings relevant to nursing. These case studies demonstrate how the theoretical framework was applied and how the outcomes of the work reduced the knowledge practice gap. CONCLUSION: Implementation science theoretical approaches have been used by nurses and multidisciplinary teams to better understand the gap between knowledge and practice for better informed implementation. These can be used to understand the processes involved, identify the determinants at play, and undertake an effective evaluation. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: By using implementation science research practice, nurses can also build a strong foundation of evidence about nursing clinical practice. As an approach, implementation science is practical and can optimize the valuable nursing resource.

Developing a knowledge translation program for health practitioners: Allied Health Translating Research into Practice.

Background: Front-line health practitioners lack confidence in knowledge translation, yet they are often required to undertake projects to bridge the knowledge-practice gap. There are few initiatives focused on building the capacity of the health practitioner workforce to undertake knowledge translation, with most programs focusing on developing the skills of researchers. This paper reports the development and evaluation of a knowledge translation capacity building program for allied health practitioners located over geographically dispersed locations in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Allied Health Translating Research into Practice (AH-TRIP) was developed over five years with consideration of theory, research evidence and local needs assessment. AH-TRIP includes five components: training and education; support and networks (including champions and mentoring); showcase and recognition; TRIP projects and implementation; evaluation. The RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation Maintenance) guided the evaluation plan, with this paper reporting on the reach (number, discipline, geographical location), adoption by health services, and participant satisfaction between 2019 and 2021. Results: A total of 986 allied health practitioners participated in at least one component of AH-TRIP, with a quarter of participants located in regional areas of Queensland. Online training materials received an average of 944 unique page views each month. A total of 148 allied health practitioners have received mentoring to undertake their project, including a range of allied health disciplines and clinical areas. Very high satisfaction was reported by those receiving mentoring and attending the annual showcase event. Nine of sixteen public hospital and health service districts have adopted AH-TRIP. Conclusion: AH-TRIP is a low-cost knowledge translation capacity building initiative which can be delivered at scale to support allied health practitioners across geographically dispersed locations. Higher adoption in metropolitan areas suggests that further investment and targeted strategies are needed to reach health practitioners working in regional areas. Future evaluation should focus on exploring the impact on individual participants and the health service.

What is 'successful rehabilitation'? A multi-stakeholder nominal group technique study to inform rehabilitation outcome measurement.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how stakeholders in rehabilitation conceptualise 'successful rehabilitation', to inform the development of a minimum dataset and core outcomes for sub-acute rehabilitation. DESIGN: Qualitative consensus study using the nominal group technique. SETTING: Online focus groups. PARTICIPANTS: Consumer representatives (n = 7), clinicians (n = 15), and health service managers (n = 9) from Australia. INTERVENTION: Participants responded to the question, 'What does successful rehabilitation look like?'. Following item generation, they prioritised their top five responses, allocating 100 points across items to denote relative importance. MAIN MEASURES: Prioritised responses were analysed across stakeholder groups using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Ten themes were identified. 'Successful rehabilitation' is: (1) person and family centred; (2) effective; (3) inter-professional; (4) accessible; (5) goal oriented with meaningful outcomes; (6) connected to the continuum of care; (7) evidence-based and supportive of innovation and research; (8) appropriately funded and skilled; (9) satisfying and engaging; and (10) safe. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholder-defined 'successful rehabilitation' aligned with principles of value-based care and evidence-based rehabilitation. Provision and receipt of person and family centred care was the most important indicator of successful rehabilitation. Measures of success should include indicators of structure, process, outcome, and experience, and be conducted at multiple time-points.

Incidence and criteria used in the diagnosis of hospital-acquired malnutrition in adults: a systematic review and pooled incidence analysis.

Despite advances in identifying malnutrition at hospital admission, decline in nutritional status of well-nourished patients can be overlooked. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the incidence of hospital-acquired malnutrition (HAM), diagnostic criteria and health-related outcomes. PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched up to July 2021. Studies were included if changes in nutritional status was assessed with a validated nutrition assessment tool in acute and subacute adult (≥18 yrs) hospitalised patients. A random-effects method was used to pool the incidence proportion of HAM in prospective studies. The certainty of evidence was appraised using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. We identified 12 observational cohort studies (10 prospective and 2 retrospective), involving 35,324 participants from acute (9 studies) and subacute settings (3 studies). Retrospective studies reported a lower incidence of HAM (<1.4%) than prospective studies (acute: 9-38%; subacute: 0-7%). The pooled incidence of HAM in acute care was 25.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 17.3-34.6). Diagnostic criteria varied, with use of different nutrition assessment tools and timeframes for assessment (retrospective studies: >14 days; prospective studies: ≥7 days). Nutritional decline is probably associated with longer length of stay and higher 6-month readmission (moderate certainty of evidence) and may be association with higher complications and infections (low certainty of evidence). The higher incidence of HAM in the acute setting, where nutritional assessments are conducted prospectively, highlights the need for consensus regarding diagnostic criteria and further studies to understand the impact of HAM.

A systematic review of frailty education programs for health care professionals.

OBJECTIVES: To identify and examine the reported effectiveness of education programs for health professionals on frailty. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted of articles published up to June 2021, examining the evaluation of frailty training or education programs targeting health professionals/students. The participant demographics, program content and structure, effectiveness assessment methodology and outcomes, as well as participant feedback, were recorded with narrative synthesis of results. RESULTS: There were nine programs that have evaluated training of health professionals in frailty. These programs varied with respect to intensity, duration, and delivery modality, and targeted a range of health professionals and students. The programs were well-received and found to be effective in increasing frailty knowledge and self-perceived competence in frailty assessment. Common features of successful programs included having multidisciplinary participants, delivering a clinically tailored program and using flexible teaching modalities. Of note, many programs assessed self-perceived efficacy rather than objective changes in patient outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Despite increasing attention on frailty in clinical practice, this systematic review found that there continues to be limited reporting of frailty training programs.

Development of a minimum dataset for subacute rehabilitation: a three-round e-Delphi consensus study.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a minimum dataset to be routinely collected across a heterogenous population within a subacute rehabilitation service to guide best care and outcomes for patients, and value for the health service. DESIGN: Three-round e-Delphi exercise, followed by consensus meetings. SETTING: Multicentre study in Brisbane, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Rehabilitation decision-makers, researchers and clinicians were invited to participate in the e-Delphi exercise. A multidisciplinary project steering committee (rehabilitation decision makers, researchers, clinicians and consumers) participated in consensus meetings. METHODS: In round 1 of the e-Delphi, participants responded to an open-ended question, generating data and outcomes that should be routinely collected in rehabilitation. In rounds 2 and 3, participants rated the importance of collecting each item on a nine-point scale. Consensus was defined a priori, as items rated as 'essential' by at least 70%, and of 'limited importance' by less than 15%, of respondents. Consensus meetings were held to further refine and define the dataset for implementation. RESULTS: In total, 38 participants completed round 1 of the e-Delphi. Qualitative content analysis of their responses generated 1072 codes, which were condensed into 39 categories and 209 subcategories. Following two rounds of rating (round 2: n=32 participants; round 3: n=28 participants), consensus was reached for 124 items. Four consensus meetings (n=14 participants) resulted in the final dataset which included 42 items across six domains: (1) patient demographics, (2) premorbid health and psychosocial information, (3) admission information, (4) service delivery and interventions, (5) outcomes and (6) caregiver information and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: We identified 42 items that reflect the values and experiences of rehabilitation stakeholders. Items unique to this dataset include caregiver information and outcomes, and detailed service delivery and intervention data. Future research will establish the feasibility of collection in practice.

The delivery of patient centred dietetic care in subacute rehabilitation units: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Patient centred care (PCC) positively influences individual and organisational outcomes. It is important that dietitians working in rehabilitation units are supported to deliver PCC because effective rehabilitation is a collaborative and patient centred process. The objective of this scoping review was to explore the literature available regarding the delivery of dietetic PCC, with patients undergoing rehabilitation in subacute inpatient units. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and Scopus were searched for relevant published literature. Searches for grey and unpublished literature were also completed. Studies were eligible for inclusion and data extraction if they demonstrated the delivery of PCC by qualified dietitians, through individual consultations with adult patients undertaking subacute rehabilitation. RESULTS: Overall, 675 studies were identified and six were included in the review. From the literature available, documentation was lacking regarding conceptualisation and delivery of patient centred nutrition care, with only one study providing quality indicators for patient centred dietetic services. Elements of PCC cited were mostly limited to phrases such as, 'individualised care', 'tailored advice', 'follow-up' and 'team collaboration'. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review identified a considerable gap in the literature regarding the delivery of dietetic PCC in subacute rehabilitation units. Contemporary descriptions of PCC show that the delivery of care which is truly patient centred is far more comprehensive than individualising interventions or organising ongoing services. This raises the question: is the delivery of nutrition care in subacute rehabilitation unit's patient centred?

Implementation science for dietitians: The 'what, why and how' using multiple case studies.

AIM: Implementation science theories, models and frameworks help to address evidence-practice gaps, which have increasing importance for dietetic practice. This paper aims to provide dietitians with insight into how implementation science can be applied to practice, using multiple 'real-life' case studies. METHODS: Three case studies were purposively selected across areas of dietetics practice to demonstrate application of commonly-used implementation theories, models and frameworks. Reflections from the authors were provided in response to a structured set of questions outlining how the theoretical approach was selected and used, and considerations for future application. Within and cross-case analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: Dietitians used diverse implementation theories, models and frameworks to identify barriers and enablers, to plan for implementation, and to guide the selection of implementation strategies. Implementation theory was used to evaluate the implementation process in one case study. Cross-case analysis identified that mentoring by those with implementation expertise, multidisciplinary implementation teams, and leadership and investment in research and translation at an organisational and departmental level as key enablers. CONCLUSIONS: This paper offers dietitians insight into how implementation science can be applied to improve the uptake of evidence-based practices within nutrition and dietetics, and suggests that there needs to be investment in implementation science as a foundation science within nutrition and dietetics, including education, training and mentoring for dietitians.

Systematised, Interdisciplinary Malnutrition Program for impLementation and Evaluation delivers improved hospital nutrition care processes and patient reported experiences - An implementation study.

AIM: Models of hospital malnutrition care reliant on dietitians can be inefficient and of limited effectiveness. This study evaluated whether implementing the Systematised, Interdisciplinary Malnutrition Program for impLementation and Evaluation (SIMPLE) improved hospital nutrition care processes and patientreported experiences compared with traditional practice. METHODS: A multi-site (five hospitals) prospective, pre-post study evaluated the facilitated implementation of SIMPLE, a malnutrition care pathway promoting proactive nutrition support delivered from time of malnutrition screening by the interdisciplinary team, without need for prior dietetic assessment. Implementation was tailored to local site needs and resources. Nutrition care processes delivered to inpatients who were malnourished or at-risk of malnutrition were identified across diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring domains using standardised audits from medical records, foodservice systems and patient-reported nutrition experience measures. RESULTS: Pre-implementation (n = 365) and post-implementation (n = 397) cohorts were similar for age (74 vs 73 years), gender (47.1% vs 48.6% female), and nutrition risk status (46.6% vs 45.3% at-risk). Post-implementation, at-risk participants were more likely to receive enhanced food and fluids (68.5% vs 83.9%; P < .01), nutrition information (30.9% vs 47.2%; P < .01), mealtime assistance where required (61.4% vs 77.9% P = .04), nutrition monitoring (25.2% vs 46.3%; P < .01) and care planning (17.8% vs 27.7%; P = .01). Patient-reported nutrition experience measures confirmed improved nutrition care. There was no difference in dietetic occasions of service per patient (1.51 vs 1.25; P = .83). CONCLUSIONS: Tailored SIMPLE implementation improves nutrition care processes and patient reported nutrition experience measures for at-risk inpatients within existing dietetic resources.

Translating Research into Practice: How Confident Are Allied Health Clinicians?

AIM: Knowledge translation (KT) is a multistage process of implementing practice change to align with evidence-based practice. This study aimed to determine the confidence of allied health professionals (AHPs) to undertake KT. METHODS: A quantitative questionnaire was disseminated to AHPs over a 4-week period. Awareness of and confidence with KT was assessed using a 100-mm visual analogue scale. RESULTS: 374 AHPs responded from 12 metropolitan hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Moderate confidence was reported for identifying an evidence-practice gap (median 70 mm, interquartile range [IQR] 50-80 mm), finding relevant literature/evidence (67 mm, 40-84 mm), and sharing evidence with colleagues (70 mm, 50-85 mm). Clinicians were less confident in choosing a KT framework (20 mm, 3-50 mm), implementing a practice change (40 mm, 15-61 mm), assessing barriers and enablers (50 mm, 25-70 mm) and supporting less experienced clinicians undertaking KT (42 mm, 14-68 mm). There was a weak positive correlation between years of experience and confidence in implementing practice change (rho=0.127, p=0.017). A majority of respondents (89%, n=333) reported an interest in learning more about KT. CONCLUSIONS: AHPs were interested in KT but had low confidence in implementing research into practice. These findings identify opportunities to support the training and education needs of AHPs in KT.

Exploring the Impact of Obesity on Health Care Resources and Coding in the Acute Hospital Setting: A Feasibility Study.

Obesity is costly, yet there have been few attempts to estimate the actual costs of providing hospital care to the obese inpatient. This study aimed to test the feasibility of measuring obesity-related health care costs and accuracy of coding data for acute inpatients. A prospective observational study was conducted over three weeks in June 2018 in a single orthopaedic ward of a metropolitan tertiary hospital in Queensland, Australia. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, clinical characteristics, cost of hospital encounter and coding data were collected. Complete demographic, anthropometric and clinical data were collected for all 18 participants. Hospital costing reports and coding data were not available within the study timeframe. Participant recruitment and data collection were resource-intensive, with mobility assistance required to obtain anthropometric measurements in more than half of the participants. Greater staff time and costs were seen in participants with obesity compared to those without obesity (obesity: body mass index ≥ 30), though large standard deviations indicate wide variance. Data collected suggest that obesity-related cost and resource use amongst acute inpatients require further exploration. This study provides recommendations for protocol refinement to improve the accuracy of data collected for future studies measuring the actual cost of providing hospital care to obese inpatients.

Underreporting of Obesity in Hospital Inpatients: A Comparison of Body Mass Index and Administrative Documentation in Australian Hospitals.

Despite its high prevalence, there is no systematic approach to documenting and coding obesity in hospitals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among inpatients, the proportion of obese patients recognised as obese by hospital administration, and the cost associated with their admission. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in three hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Inpatients present on three audit days were included in this study. Data collected were age, sex, height, and weight. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated in accordance with the World Health Organization's definition. Administrative data were sourced from hospital records departments to determine the number of patients officially documented as obese. Total actual costing data were sourced from hospital finance departments. From a combined cohort of n = 1327 inpatients (57% male, mean (SD) age: 61 (19) years, BMI: 28 (9) kg/m2), the prevalence of obesity was 32% (n = 421). Only half of obese patients were recognised as obese by hospital administration. A large variation in the cost of admission across BMI categories prohibited any statistical determination of difference. Obesity is highly prevalent among hospital inpatients in Queensland, Australia. Current methods of identifying obesity for administrative/funding purposes are not accurate and would benefit from reforms to measure the true impact of healthcare costs from obesity.

Knowledge Translation in Dietetics: A Survey of Dietitians' Awareness and Confidence.

This study aimed to determine dietitians' familiarity with knowledge translation (KT), confidence in undertaking KT, and preferences for receiving KT training. An online questionnaire was designed and disseminated to all dietitians working across hospital and health services in Queensland, Australia, for completion over a 6-week period (April-May 2018). Of the 124 respondents, 69% (n = 85) reported being familiar with KT, but only 28% (n = 35) reported being confident in applying KT to their practice. Higher confidence was reported with problem identification, evidence appraisal, and adapting evidence to local context, compared with implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. Almost all respondents reported an interest in learning more about KT (n = 121, 98%), with a preference for easily accessible and short "snippets" of training aimed at beginner-intermediate level. Lack of management support, difficulty attending multi-day courses, cost, travel requirements, and lack of quarantined time were reported barriers to attending KT training. There is a high awareness and interest but low confidence in undertaking KT amongst dietitians. This highlights an opportunity for workforce development to prepare dietitians to be skilled and confident in KT. Training and support needs to be low-cost and multi-modal to meet diverse needs.

Clinicians as novice facilitators: a SIMPLE case study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to advance understanding about the facilitation process used in complex implementation projects, by describing the function of novice clinician facilitators, and the barriers and enablers they experience, while implementing a new model of care for managing hospital malnutrition. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with local facilitators ( n=7) involved in implementing The SIMPLE Approach (Systematised Interdisciplinary Malnutrition Pathway Implementation and Evaluation) in six hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Facilitator networks and training supported the clinicians acting as novice facilitators. FINDINGS: Key functions of the facilitator role were building relationships and trust; understanding the problem and stimulating change through data; negotiating and implementing the change; and measuring, sharing and reflecting on success. "Dedicated role, time and support" was identified as a theme encompassing the key barriers and enablers to successful facilitation. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: When implementing complex interventions within short project timelines, it is critical that novice clinician facilitators are given adequate and protected time within their role, and have access to regular support from peers and experienced facilitators. With these structures in place, facilitators can support iterative improvements through building trust and relationships, co-designing strategies with champions and teams and developing internal capacity for change. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This case study extends the knowledge about how facilitation works in action, the barriers faced by clinicians new to working in facilitator roles, and highlights the need for an adapt-to-fit approach for the facilitation process, as well as the innovation itself.