The Value of Implementing a Malnutrition Quality Measure

Malnutrition is defined as the inadequate intake of nutrients or energy, over time, and can have many root causes. A hospitalized patient with malnutrition can place a strain on resources, and negatively affect quality outcomes, as shown in the figure below.

Clinical guidelines for addressing malnutrition in acute care settings establish that a patient should first be screened for risk for malnutrition, those at risk should be further assessed, and if found to have malnutrition by assessment, then a nutrition support plan should be established (3).

Effective malnutrition care processes benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration. This type of care offers an opportunity to develop a comprehensive and individualized assessment and treatment plan, and thus supporting accurate diagnosis and effective care. The following graphic shows the key roles different profession in a hospital can offer to help achieve successful implementation of the MCS.

The MCS follows the recommended workflow of evidence-based malnutrition care and encourages interdisciplinary care discussions and involvement during implementation and clinical care. Although the MCS was developed for the acute care setting, its proven framework can be adapted to any practice area to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.

Benefits of implementing the MCS:

• Providing care measured through the MCS supports hospitals' strategic plans to address social determinants of health and equity.
• All four components are often already established in acute care facilities.
• Addresses several clinical areas or quality indicators simultaneously, including:
  • Nutrition Screening - The Joint Commission
  • Social Determinants of Health and Food Insecurity - The Joint Commission, CMS, 2023 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set's (HEDIS) Social Need Screening and Intervention Measure
  • Health Equity Advancement - identified by CMS as a priority eCQM
  • Rural Health Improvement- identified by NQF as a key measure**
• Combines several quality measures into one single composite score, giving a more comprehensive picture of clinical care than a single measure.
• Promotes multidisciplinary engagement, supporting communication and employee satisfaction efforts.