ASPEN focuses on reducing the incidence of malnutrition by providing educational support and resources to healthcare professionals and consumers, and through advocacy work for malnutrition prevention and treatment.
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS | CONSUMERS | MAW HOME
Healthcare Professionals
Here are resources to help clinicians detect, diagnose, prevent, and treat disease-related malnutrition.
GENERAL RESOURCES | MALNUTRITION QUALITY MEASURES
SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT | GLIM | EVALUATION RESOURCES
SPECIFIC POPULATIONS | INTERNATIONAL | ADVOCACY
GENERAL MALNUTRITION RESOURCES
- Importance of Nutrition Support to Prevent and Treat Malnutrition
- Malnutrition Matters for Providers
- Nutrition Care Pathways
The Nutrition Care Pathways indicate best practices and guide clinicians—step by step—through the nutrition care process, from admission to discharge. Each step in the pathway is supplemented with resources to use in developing nutrition care plans for patients.
- Documentation and Compliance
- Malnutrition Education Resources
- Malnutrition Related Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Data and Publications
- Malnutrition Transitions of Care and Discharge Planning
- Malnutrition and Transitions of Care Between Healthcare Settings
- Discharge Planning and Interventions for Patients with Malnutrition: Improved Patient Outcomes
MALNUTRITION QUALITY MEASURES
Global Malnutrition Composite Score
The Global Malnutrition Composite Score (GMCS) electronic clinical quality measure is comprised of four components reflecting inpatient malnutrition identification and care. It was adopted by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and will go into effect in 2024. These tools and resources are provided to guide implementation of the measure.
SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT RESOURCES
The first step in addressing malnutrition is to identify those who may be malnourished or who are at risk of malnutrition. This is accomplished through nutrition screening, a standard required by the Joint Commission. Those identified to be at nutrition risk through screening should undergo a nutrition assessment. The following resources assist practitioners in developing nutrition screening and assessment processes.
NUTRITION SCREENING TOOLS
Adults
Pediatrics
In addition to the screening tools provided above, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides adult and pediatric nutrition screening information and resources in their Evidence Analysis Library.
NUTRITION ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Adults and Pediatrics
Adults
Pediatrics
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE ON MALNUTRITION (GLIM)
What is GLIM?
GLIM (Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition) is a global consensus on core criteria for a malnutrition diagnosis in adults. It was developed as a diagnostic framework to permit malnutrition prevalence, interventions, and outcomes comparisons globally.
GLIM Resources
ADDITIONAL MALNUTRITION EVALUATION RESOURCES
The table below provides additional malnutrition related resources and publications for adult and pediatric populations.
| Nutrition Screening and Assessment |
| Adult |
| Body Composition |
| |
| Functional Assessment |
| |
| Nutrition Focused Physical Exam |
| Adult Pediatric |
| Telehealth Assessment of Nutrition |
- Performing Nutrition Assessment Remotely via Telehealth
|
| Visceral Proteins |
| |
MALNUTRITION RESOURCES FOR SPECIFIC PATIENT POPULATIONS
(Topics Listed Alphabetically)
Aging Population
Cancer
Critically Ill
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
Malnutrition is one of the few modifiable risk factors identified in ERAS perioperative care pathways. This educational bundle includes:
Gastroenterology
Neonatal and Maternal Malnutrition
Obesity
Parenteral Nutrition in Malnutrition
Pediatrics
Pediatric Intestinal Failure
Refeeding Syndrome
Short Bowel Syndrome
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
International Resources and Publications
ADVOCACY FOR MALNUTRITION PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
ASPEN continuously works to address malnutrition as a public health issue through governmental and regulatory engagement. Below are select examples of ASPEN’s advocacy work related to malnutrition. Please also visit ASPEN’s Public Policy and Advocacy webpage for additional advocacy initiatives.