Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - PostDoc Western Canada 2-year

Disease-related malnutrition (DRM) affects nearly half of hospitalized adults across Alberta and is related to longer hospital stays and more readmissions. Malnutrition is a priority for Alberta Health Services, and hospitals across the province are working to identify patients with DRM, start nutrition therapy, and create plans to support nutrition-focused transitions from hospital to home. Successful nutrition-focused transitions can improve health outcomes and prevent readmissions. While patients are the cornerstone of successful transitions, challenges faced by patients related to nutrition care after hospital discharge are not well understood. This project aims to prioritize patient perspectives to understand and address the barriers to nutrition-focused transitions of care across diverse communities and populations in Alberta. Patient and provider experiences will be garnered through interviews and focus groups. Qualitative analysis will identify common and/or diverse themes. These themes will guide a collaborative process where patients, health care providers and decision-makers work together to identify strategies to support successful nutrition-focused transitions. These strategies will be integrated into the Alberta Health Services Malnutrition Strategy, to improve health outcomes for Albertans through optimal nutrition care.