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Nutrition Screening vs Nutrition Assessment: How Do They Differ?
Author(s) -
Charney Pamela
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
nutrition in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1941-2452
pISSN - 0884-5336
DOI - 10.1177/0884533608321131
Subject(s) - medicine , clinical nutrition , psychological intervention , intensive care medicine , health care , national health and nutrition examination survey , parenteral nutrition , medline , environmental health , nursing , population , pathology , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Interest in nutrition screening has increased rapidly due to regulatory requirements as well as the known adverse impact of nutrition deficits on outcomes of hospitalization. Screening programs now in use in acute care are often complex and difficult to administer. Current interest in evaluation of all aspects of healthcare using evidence‐based methods requires that nutrition screening programs be thoroughly evaluated. Clinicians attempting to evaluate evidence in support of different methods to identify patients who might have nutrition problems are often confronted with research that blurs the distinction between screening and assessment. Therefore, before identifying methods to conduct nutrition screening, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the difference between screening and assessment. A review of terms, definitions, and programs for screening in other areas of healthcare will provide some guidance to the clinician faced with development, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition screening programs. This facilitates development of nutrition assessment programs so that patients who have a nutrition screen are assessed in a timely fashion and receive appropriate nutrition interventions.