Current status of nutrition support systems in Japan: Survey of the representatives and academic councilors of the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (formerly, the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition)

Abstract

Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate the actual situation of the nutrition management system in Japan.

Subjects and methods: We conducted a multiple-choice questionnaire survey via the Internet of 657 representatives and academic councilors of the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (formerly, the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition). We asked them about the current situation of rounds and conferences involving the nutrition support team (NST), and difficulties and contradictions in the system related to regional cooperation.

Results: Responses were obtained from 265 individuals (40.3%; response rate by institution, 53.5%). The frequency of NST rounds, the number of patients, and the time spent varied depending on the function of the medical institution. In regional cooperation of nutrition management, there was a high need to provide nutrition management information at the time of discharge or hospital transfer, and nutrition evaluation by NST before admission and discharge. More than 50% of respondents thought that the information on the following was not sufficiently shared in regional cooperation: swallowing function, oral intake situation, enteral nutrition, and weight.

Conclusions: This study highlighted that NST medical fee points should be re-evaluated to reflect the function of individual medical institutions, and the system should be evaluated so that the medical fee points for the NST become applicable in the whole region, thereby promoting regional cooperation.