New clinician resources available to tackle malnutrition

New clinician resources available to tackle malnutrition

18 September 2024

Cancer-related malnutrition is often under-recognised and under-treated. Malnutrition Week (16 September - 20 September) is a good time to consider how we can help our patients to optimise their nutritional status and ensure optimal treatment is provided.

Malnutrition affects 1 in 3 people with cancer and people undergoing treatment can find it difficult to eat enough and eat the right kinds of foods which may lead to unplanned weight loss and a loss of muscle.

Early identification of malnutrition risk and the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition is essential; fortunately, there are a number of valid screening tools available to help clinicians check for unintentional loss of weight and reduced appetite.

Peter Mac's Nutrition and Speech Pathology team have been key to the development of three new malnutrition and sarcopenia clinician resources.

Nutrition and Speech Pathology Manager, Jenelle Loeliger, and Clinical Lead Dietitian, Jane Stewart, led the development of an implementation toolkit with the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA).

"This new implementation toolkit includes tools, tips and learnings for both screening and assessment relating to cancer-malnutrition and sarcopenia," explains Jenelle.

"The toolkit is designed for clinicians and health services to educate and train professionals, increase awareness, develop necessary services and advocate for resources"

"It is a one-stop shop for multidisciplinary clinicians and really creates the bridge between research and clinical practice."

The Victorian Cancer Malnutrition Collaborative (VCMC) has recently released a new Malnutrition Governance Tool, a resource aiming to share effective strategies which supporting prevention and management; and eLearning Program, a platform used to improve and sustain clinician knowledge and practice relating to malnutrition.

Both were developed under the leadership from Senior Dietitians Rebecca McIntosh and Hannah Ray, Jenelle Loeliger and Jane Stewart.

"The new VCMC resources feed into a systems-wide approach to the identification, assessment, and treatment of cancer-related malnutrition across Australian health settings," Jenelle said.

"Rebecca and Hannah have led and supported a fantastic multidisciplinary team including consumer representatives, to refresh high calibre education and quality improvement resources that look to setup the best clinical environment in which to deliver great nutrition care to people with cancer."

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