Abstract
Nutrition screening continues to play a vital role as registered dietitians integrate the nutrition care process into daily practice. This pilot study compares the nutrition screening tool currently used by the Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minn, with 4 validated nutrition screens: Mini Nutritional Assessment Screening Form, Veterans Affairs Nutrition Status Classification system, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, and the screening tool developed by Brugler et al to determine whether they are consistent in properly identifying patients who are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition. A secondary aim is to determine whether an existing validated screening tool is equally or more effective than the present hospital practice. This pilot study identified the areas for improving both the nutrition screening tool and how this information is communicated at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Ongoing efforts are underway to revise the screening parameters used and to collaborate with nursing staff to improve the accuracy and timeliness of nutrition screening results.