Nutritional Assessment in Primary Care

Alterations in nutritional status are common and can be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, for healthcare providers, the definition of malnutrition is vague, insensitive, and poorly standardized. In contrast, nutrition risk is more easily defined, and recognizes that both poor nutritional status and disease severity contribute to increased morbidity and mortality. Clinicians need to identify patients who may already have evidence of nutrient deficiencies or have disease processes that affect nutrition risk. This article reviews risk assessment tools and provides practical tips to screen patients and identify those whose nutrition risk warrants specialized nutrition therapy.