A nutrition support team quality assurance plan

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nutrition
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• The Nutrition Support Team manages guidelines for total parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition support.
• A Joint Commission-approved Quality Assurance plan was implemented to standardize care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail a Quality Assurance plan for nutrition support services.
• To outline indicators and criteria for assessing nutritional care.
• To document team activities and identify areas for improvement.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a comprehensive Quality Assurance plan.
• Defining indicators and criteria for nutritional assessment, indications, goal attainment, and complication management.
• Data collection on patient population and team activities.

Main Results:

• The plan provides documentation of the Nutrition Support Team's activities.
• Data was gathered on the patient population needing specialized nutrition support.
• Areas requiring improvement in nutrition support services were identified.

Conclusions:

• The implemented Quality Assurance plan enhances the provision of nutrition support.
• The program facilitates data-driven improvements in patient care.
• Effective management of specialized nutrition support and its complications is achieved.