New research published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (JPEN) demonstrates how nutrition assessment and intervention can influence outcomes for hospitalized patients while showcasing the value of Morrison Healthcare’s nutrition data infrastructure in advancing clinical research.
The study analyzed data from more than 200,000 hospitalized adults diagnosed with malnutrition between 2019 and 2025. Researchers found that dietitian assessments identified more patients with malnutrition than hospital discharge coding alone and that earlier nutrition assessment was associated with shorter hospital lengths of stay.
Morrison Healthcare’s Nutrition Data Platform Supports Industry Research
One of the ongoing challenges in addressing hospital malnutrition is the lack of large-scale, real-world nutrition data. Morrison Healthcare’s nutrition reporting platform helps participating hospitals track malnutrition diagnoses, nutrition interventions, coding practices and patient outcomes through standardized nutrition documentation.
The newly published study utilized de-identified data from 140 hospitals nationwide, representing more than 200,000 hospitalized adults diagnosed with malnutrition. By making this level of nutrition data available for analysis, Morrison Healthcare is helping advance research that can inform nutrition care practices, improve documentation processes and strengthen understanding of the relationship between nutrition interventions and patient outcomes.
The study also highlights the critical role registered dietitians play in identifying malnutrition and supporting timely nutrition interventions. Findings showed that dietitian assessments identified more patients with malnutrition than discharge coding alone, reinforcing the value of nutrition expertise as part of the interdisciplinary care team.
As healthcare organizations continue to focus on improving patient outcomes, research like this helps strengthen the evidence supporting nutrition as an essential component of care and demonstrates how data-driven insights can help hospitals better understand and address malnutrition.
To read the original article published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (JPEN), click here.