Research project The aim of the research project is to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based practice into clinical practice, with focus on the assessment of muscle mass by dietitians, and thereby take one important step towards more accurate application and diagnosing of malnutrition using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, GLIM, criteria.
The assessment of muscle mass is important when diagnosing malnutrition, however, the assessment of muscle mass holds hesitations towards its applicability and use since this assessment requires skilled personnel and available methods and techniques. In addition, lack of knowledge, practical experience, and equipment, could also lead to muscle mass not being assessed. The research project will develop and test a combined physical-online program to endorse the use of muscle mass assessment in clinical practice.
Swedish dietitians are recommended to use the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria to diagnose malnutrition in adults. However, the implementation of the GLIM framework in clinical practice has not been straightforward, especially since all five criteria should be assessed to ensure its validity. In fact, how GLIM should be properly operationalized and implemented into clinical practice is yet to be understood. Particularly, the assessment of the phenotypic criterion muscle mass hold hesitations towards its applicability and use since this assessment requires skilled personnel and available methods and techniques.
In this research project, a national online survey will be distributed to Swedish dietitians to map current practice of assessing muscle mass and use of GLIM. In addition to the online survey, and to provide further insights, focus group interviews will be held with dietitians to understand perceived barriers and enablers when assessing muscle mass.
Results from the online survey and focus group interviews will inform the development of a training program designed to endorse the use of muscle mass assessment. The training program will be designed to combine online (theoretical knowledge) and physical (applied knowledge) attendance. The training program will be tested on dietitians in a feasibility study.
In this study, we intend to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice by improving dietitians’ adoption of as well as perceived capability, opportunity, and motivation in performing muscle mass assessment. We also intend to create conditions to properly assess the GLIM criteria and securing the quality performance of nutrition assessment and, hence, a more effective use of healthcare resources. With this, we hope to move toward a more equal nutritional care where patients with malnutrition are properly assessed and re-assessed.
When successfully implemented into dietetic practice, the training program can be customized to other healthcare professionals and be used at bachelor/master level, both in dietetics as well as within other relevant healthcare education programs; to continue to take important steps towards accurate diagnosing of malnutrition in clinical practice. The program can also be translated into other languages to facilitate an international spread and use of the program.
