Lee Health – Flavor Harvest@Home

What is it?

In an effort to pursue optimum nutrition and improve long-term health, avoid unnecessary readmissions, reduce length of stay and save hospital funds, Lee Health developed Flavor Harvest@Home to assist in early identification and intervention for patients at risk of malnutrition. A Lee Health registered dietitian designed an enhanced screening tool, the Flavor Harvest Assessment Screening Tool (FHAST), accompanied by a physical examination of the patient. Flavor Harvest@Home launched a six-month pilot investigating the impact of intensive nutrition intervention for patients at risk for malnutrition and any of four specific diagnoses: congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or pneumonia. Nutrient-rich meals were specially designed for free four-week home delivery post-discharge, including preparation instruction for three meals daily plus an evening snack.

Who is it for?

Hospitalized patients at risk for malnutrition, especially the frail elderly with a chronic condition, specifically congestive heart failure, COPD, AMI or pneumonia. Through early identification and intervention, the program is designed to help the patient recover more completely at home. This program is only available to those patients of Lee Health, who have been diagnosed as meeting the clinical criteria for malnourishment.

Why do they do it?

Patients age 65 or older are often at risk for malnutrition. Studies indicate that as many as 1 in 3 patients are at risk for malnutrition upon admission. Forty-five percent of Lee Health patients are age 65 or older, so the financial risk to Lee Health is significant if the need for nutrition intervention is not identified correctly and initiated early in the provision of care. Without treatment, approximately two-thirds of these individuals will experience a further decline in their health status. Malnourished patients are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop surgical-site infection or post-operative pneumonia. National studies have found that malnourished patients spend an average of 12.6 days in the hospital compared with 4.4 days for other patients, a threefold increase in hospital costs.

Impact

During the 2014 pilot study, the health system’s assessment tool for malnutrition captured 99 percent of patients at malnutrition risk compared with 18 percent when using the standard assessment tool alone. Thirty percent of screened patients met clinical criteria for malnutrition, with 14 percent agreeing to participate in the home delivery program. The intensive nutrition intervention showed a positive correlation and may have affected length of stay. Hospital stays for participants in the Cape Coral Hospital study were 3.24 days shorter than for similar patients from the previous year who had no intervention. Seventy percent of participants had improved fluid status and 84 percent had improved strength. Study outcomes showed a 58 percent reduction in the readmission rate for patients in the program with 25 percent readmissions in the study group versus 59 percent readmissions in the control group, who received no home meals.

Contact: Jon Holzinger
Flavor Harvest@HOME Coordinator
Telephone: 239-343-8920
Email: Jon.Holzinger@leehealth.org