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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01647204

Southampton Mealtime Assistance Study

The primary objective of the study is to determine if the use of volunteers employed specifically to focus on mealtime assistance can increase food and nutrient intake of patients admitted to an acute Care of the Elderly ward. The sustainability of providing helpers to increase dietary intake over a year will be assessed and linked to actual dietary intake. The secondary objectives are to assess the association between dietary intake resulting from mealtime assistance and patient satisfaction, malnutrition risk, body composition, grip strength, length of hospital stay and hospital mortality.

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Key information

Conditions

Malnutrition Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Age range

70 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University Hospital Southampton

Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom

About this study

Poor nutritional status in older people acutely admitted to hospital is common with the risk of malnutrition estimated to be greater than 40%. Malnutrition is associated with major adverse clinical outcomes such as increased mortality, morbidity and length of stay at enormous cost to individuals and the health service. There is growing recognition that malnutrition is often unrecognised and untreated, and that many patients are discharged from hospital in a more malnourished state than when they were admitted. It is not surprising that complaints about nutrition and food services are amongst the commonest complaints in NHS hospitals.

The standard of mealtime care in UK hospitals has been an issue of concern for a number of years. A report last year from the Healthcare Commission found that one in five patients who wanted help eating did not get it. A secondary analysis of data provided by the Health Care Commission suggests that in some hospitals two out of five patients who wanted help with eating did not get it. Consistent with this, the recent Hungry to be Heard report found that nine out of ten nurses indicated they did not always have time to help ensure patients ate properly. They also suggested that some patients were not given appropriate assistance to eat. This problem is not unique to the UK and has been reported in other countries such as Australia and the USA.

The aim of the present study is to investigate if the use of volunteers employed specifically to focus on mealtime assistance in a Care of the Elderly Ward can increase food and nutrient intake, impact on body composition and improve clinical outcomes. The findings will inform service development in the nutritional care of older people across the Trust and wider.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patients will be recruited in a consecutive prospective manner.

  • emergency admissions to acute medical wards and
  • ability to gain consent from patient or relatives

Exclusion criteria

  • Patient acutely unwell or palliative care
  • Patient lacking capacity to consent and no assent given by relatives
  • Patients who are tube fed or nil-by-mouth

Treatment and study plan

trained volunteer mealtime assistance

Other

trained volunteers helped inpatients at lunchtimes with dinner tray preparation, encouragement and feeding if required

Primary outcomes

  1. mean dietary intake of inpatients during a 24 hour period

    Time frame: end of year 1 and year 2

    The primary objective of the study is to determine if the use of volunteers employed specifically to focus on mealtime assistance can increase food and nutrient intake of patients admitted to an acute Care of the Elderly ward.

    Dietary intake measured as energy and protein

Secondary outcomes

  1. patient satisfaction

    Time frame: end of year 1 and year2

    measured by patient interviews held during each year

  2. malnutrition risk

    Time frame: end of year 1 and year2

    MUST score will be abstracted from medical records

  3. length of stay in hospital

    Time frame: end of year one and year two

    taken from hospital records

  4. grip strength

    Time frame: end of year 1 and year 2

    measured using a dynamometer

  5. body composition

    Time frame: end of year one and year two and year 3

    triceps and mid upper arm measurement

  6. mortality

    Time frame: end of year 1 year 2 and year 3

    abstracted from hospital records

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Southampton

Registry information

Official study title

Introduction of Mealtime Assistance Onto an Acute Medical Ward for Older People

Acronym: SMAS

Important dates

Study start
2009
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Jul 23, 2012
Registry last updated
Nov 4, 2014

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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