Current nutrition management in Community Medical Cooperation -Needs findings by questionnaire-

Abstract

With all the changes in the medical situation, medical care is shifting from the hospital conclusion type to a community conclusion type. In addition, nourishment medical treatment is reviewed by the introduction of Nutrition Support Team (NST), and continuation of a nutrition management becomes a task for the community medical cooperation.

The National Hospital Organization Hamada Medical Center established a community medical cooperation room and a NST. A questionnaire survey using the cooperating medical institutions was conducted to enhance community medical cooperation. The survey highlighted concerns in the nutritive evaluation, and a dissemination of the nutritional therapy was requested by the cooperating institutions. Assessment by the different institutions differed on the issues of nutrition, evaluation of the ability to swallow, meal help, and enteral nutrition. The reasons for these differences lay not only in the quality and services of each institution, but mostly in the difference of patients using these institutions. To handle these issues and meet different needs a report about nutritional management was attached, an inquiry window installed and workshops about nutrition were held. While understanding current needs at the institutions, grasping mutual facts and needs is important for a substantial community medical cooperation.