Background: The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) is an instrument to assess malnutrition and its risk factors. Some items of the PG-SGA may be perceived as hard to comprehend or difficult by healthcare professionals. The objective was to evaluate if and how dietitians’ perceptions of comprehensibility and difficulty of the PG-SGA change after a single training in PG-SGA use. Methods: In this prospective evaluation study, Dutch PG-SGA-naïve dietitians completed a questionnaire regarding perceived comprehensibility and difficulty of the PG-SGA before (T0) and after (T1) receiving a single training in instrument use. Perceived comprehensibility and difficulty were operationalized by calculating item and scale indices for comprehensibility (I-CI, S-CI) and difficulty (I-DI, S-DI) at T0 and T1. An item index of 0.78 was considered acceptable, a scale index of 0.80 was considered acceptable, and a scale index of 0.90 was considered excellent. Results: A total of 35 participants completed the questionnaire both at T0 and T1. All item indices related to comprehensibility and difficulty improved, although I-DI for the items regarding food intake and physical exam remained below 0.78. Scale indices for difficulty and comprehensibility of the PG-SGA significantly changed (p<0.001) from not acceptable at T0 (S-CI=0.69; S-DI=0.57), to excellent for comprehensibility (S-CI=0.95) and acceptable for difficulty (S-DI=0.86) at T1. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that significant improvement in PG-SGA-naïve dietitians’ perception of comprehensibility and difficulty of the PG-SGA can be achieved quickly by providing a one day training in the use of the PG-SGA.
LINK
Rationale: The goal of the PROVE (Protein enriched vegan products to fight malnutrition) project is to innovate the assortment of plant-based energy and protein enriched products for dietary treatment of (risk of) malnutrition. We aimed to explore preferences of dietitians for plant-based products in the treatment of malnutrition.Methods: In this design-based research project, the Double Diamond model was applied. Contextual interviews were performed with 9 dietitians experienced in treating clients using a vegan diet (1 omnivore, 3 flexi-vegetarian, 1 vegetarian, 1 pescetarian, 3 flexi-vegan). Interviews focused on preferences regarding product type, size, nutrients, taste, packaging, price. Affinity mapping was used to code and analyze the transcripted interviews. The results were summarized into concept products.Results: Four product concepts were developed that represent preferences of dietitians for a plant-based energy and protein enriched product for clients with (risk of) malnutrition. Overall, pea or soy were preferred as a protein source and addition of vitamins and minerals was not preferred.Conclusion: Preferences of dietitians for plant-based protein and energy rich products for patients with risk of malnutrition largely vary. Within PROVE, we will enrich these results with patient perspectives, as basis to develop and deliver plant-based energy and protein enriched products for treatment of (risk of) malnutrition.
Adequate distinction between malnutrition, starvation, cachexia and sarcopenia is important in clinical care. Despite the overlap in physical characteristics, differences in etiology have therapeutical and prognostic implications. We aimed to determine whether dietitians in selected European countries have ‘proper knowledge’ of malnutrition, starvation, cachexia and sarcopenia, and use terminology accordingly.
