The Impact of Malnutrition

The problems associated with malnutrition translate into significant institutional costs, both as a direct result of complications and from increased length of stay:

• Malnourished patients have an average length of stay (ALOS) twice that of adequately nourished patients
• An estimated 40% to 70% of patient hospital days are utilized by patients who are malnourished

Source: Weinsier 1979, n=134

The following chart illustrates the costs incurred by 770 surgical and medical patients at a major urban medical center who were classified as either malnourished or adequately nourished:

Source: Reilly et al, JPEN, 1988

Another study (P. Smith 1988) calculated the "malnutrition penalty cost" to both a small town hospital and a large urban teaching hospital; malnutrition increased the small town hospital's costs by 19.4%, and the teaching hospital's costs by 37.6%. An analysis of the costs incurred by 100 patients at the latter institution revealed that the malnourished patients consumed a disproportionate share of the hospital's resources, as illustrated in the chart below:


Source: Smith 1988

Attacking Malnutrition: A Win/Win Scenario

The enormous real costs of malnutrition in terms of patient outcomes and institutional revenues and resources have begun to be recognized by healthcare professionals and administrators. Attacking malnutrition, using resources already in place, has resulted in significant cost reductions, increased reimbursement, and most importantly, improved patient outcomes.

To learn more about this problem and how to cost-effectively and efficiently identify the patients at risk, please click here or use the Navigation Bar to select a specific page to visit.