Authors (including presenting author) :
Cheung KKS(1), Yu VMW(2), Leung MLP(1), Lin FOY(3), Chan TC(3)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Dietetics, TWGHs Fung Yiu King Hospital, Hong Kong (2) Department Manager (Dietetics), Hong Kong West Cluster, Hong Kong (3) Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, TWGHs Fung Yiu King Hospital, Hong Kong
Keyword 1: :
Malnutrition
Keyword 2: :
Oral nutritional supplements
Keyword 3: :
Geriatric patients
Keyword 4: :
Medical nutrition therapy
Introduction :
Malnutrition is prevalent among geriatric inpatients. It is associated with prolonged hospital stays and impaired immunity. Traditional milk-based oral nutritional supplements (ONS) often face compliance barriers (e.g., taste aversions, early satiety) in Chinese elderly, creating a need for targeted solutions. To address this need, TWGHs Fung Yiu King Hospital (FYKH) has implemented a pilot program using calorie-dense food supplement to enhance calorie intake in frail, malnourished patients in medical and geriatric wards.
Objectives :
To evaluate the effectiveness of FYKH’s calorie-dense food supplement pilot program compared with historic controls using quantitative analysis, and to explore patients’ and carers’ experiences through qualitative methods.
Methodology :
A mixed-methods study was conducted. The historic control group received a hospital diet (~1200 kcal/day) plus traditional ONS (~500 kcal/day). The pilot group received the same hospital diet, supplemented with 2 servings of calorie-dense food supplement (200 kcal total) and traditional ONS (~300 kcal/day), resulting in a consistent total of ~500 kcal/day from supplements across both groups. Energy needs were calculated per ESPEN geriatric nutritional guidelines with individualized adjustments for frailty, disease severity, and physical activity level. Baseline and post-supplement (3–7 days post-prescription) calorie intake was estimated by assessing consumed portions of standardized hospital meals and supplement intake. For the qualitative component, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of pilot group patients or carers to explore their perceptions of the calorie-dense supplement, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Result & Outcome :
66 patients were included in the pilot program. 44 historic controls with comparable characteristics were found. Compared with historic controls, patients in pilot program had higher energy intake (1153±264 vs. 984±178 kcal, p< 0.001) and energy needs fulfillment (81%±17% vs. 72%±11%, p< 0.001). Qualitative feedback highlighted high sensory acceptance and better compliance with the calorie-dense supplement compared with traditional ONS.
