Nutrition support teams--a 1983 survey

Nutrition support teams (NST) in a variety of public and private US hospitals were surveyed in the spring of 1983. A mailed questionnaire elicited information from 521 previously identified teams. The intent was to survey the characteristics of hospitals with NST, the structure and function of NST and the attitudes of coworkers regarding NST. The questionnaire was designed to facilitate individual team communication of successes and admonitions regarding team initiation and function. Nutrition support teams from 267 of 521 (51.6%) hospitals responded. Teams, multidisciplinary in composition, were located most frequently in 200 to 500-bed private, nonprofit hospitals. Financial arrangements and the scope of service rendered varied. Attitudes about NST reflected some problems with attending physicians' skepticism, rivalry, and ignorance. Other hospital professionals' attitudes were reported as supportive with reservations. Comments, penned by 90% of respondents, indicated a solid, positive concern for developing nutritional expertise, productive teamwork, and support from fellow care-givers. Generally, NST were found to be in a period of growth and essentially healthy.