Changes in the availability of clinical practice guidelines for malnutrition: a six-year multicentre study

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to examine the availability of clinical practice guidelines for malnutrition in hospitals over a period of six years and the subsequent use of nutritional interventions in malnourished patients. Research Methods & Procedures This study was conducted as a secondary data analysis of data which were collected from 2012 to 2017 in a quantitative, cross-sectional, multicentre study National Prevalence Measurement Quality of Care. Data from fifteen hospitals and 5650 participating patients were analysed. Results The availability of clinical practice guidelines for malnutrition at the institutions increased from 6.7% in 2012 to 100% in 2017 (p Conclusions The availability of guidelines on malnutrition increased in participated hospitals over the six-year study period. Regular controls of adherence to CPGs positively correlated with their availability. More interventions to treat malnutrition were carried out in 2017. The use of clinical practice guidelines in this study was associated with more interventions treating malnutrition.