Disease related malnutrition (DRM) is an important issue and occurs in 20 – 60 % of hospitalized medical, geriatric or surgical patients. DRM is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and complications. It leads to decreased quality of life. Timely identification of at-risk patients with validated screening tool and assessment of the nutritional status are key points of successful nutritional management. Nutritional plans are elaborated on these data and adequate nutritional therapy can quickly be started.

This therapy should be monitored, evaluated and frequently adapted to reach nutritional medical goals as soon as possible.

The aim of this study is to better understand the situation about nutrition in Swiss institutions and to identify potential barriers, which prohibit the development and the implementation of an optimal nutritional management. Suitable and targeted concepts for possible optimizations can be worked up with the results of the study.

Fifty head nurses (72 % in hospital, 28 % in nursing home) filled in an online survey about function and responsibilities, recording and monitoring of the nutritional status and related problems at their working places.

It can be concluded that national standards and guidelines for screening and assessment and monitoring of the nutritional status as well as for nutritional medical interventions and work up of treatment goals regarding DRM should be developed.

Ongoing and further training of medical staff should take place. Patients should also be informed and become aware of the importance of nutrition. Further, communication between interdisciplinary and multi-professional treatment and care teams must be improved to better control DRM.