Italy

This activity has led to implementation of awareness and treatment of disease related malnutrition (DRM) in hospitals and community in both adult and paediatric patients as proven by the increasing use of nutritional support in hospitals and growing prevalence of home artificial nutrition. Numerous publications on DRM in hospitalized and care homes patients are available as well as data from national surveys on home artificial nutrition all over the Italian territory. SINPE has regularly sustained basic and specialist courses on clinical nutrition on a national basis for hospital clinicians, developed guidelines on parenteral and enteral nutritional support (2002) and guidelines on home artificial nutrition (2006) as well as recommendations to ensure quality for nutritional support in the outpatient setting (2011).

Nevertheless, despite the scientific evidence and progress that have been made, it remains a challenge to have systematic screening and to ensure access of all the potential candidates to quality nutritional care throughout the national territory. This may be at least in part due to the regional management of the healthcare system in Italy and secondary to the scarce and partial data on malnutrition cost and cost-effectiveness of nutrition therapy, which requires systematic monitoring of intervention outcomes.

Why ONCA?

By joining ONCA campaign, the Italian team aims to reduce malnutrition burden and ensure quality nutritional care sharing and implementing good practices gaining strength from a coordinated collaboration between stakeholders.

Mission

• Increasing awareness for malnutrition in all medical settings (hospital, home care)
• Improving health outcomes addressing nutritional support in acute and chronically ill children, adults and older persons
• Promoting Home Artificial Nutrition national policy

Projects

• Consensus meeting of all stakeholders on 12th of March 2021 – main objective and contribute of every team member
• Assure engagement of policymakers (Ministry of Health) as a key stakeholder in ONCA projects
• Promoting educational activities in collaboration with other scientific societies (FADOI, SIGOT)
• Estimating DRM prevalence on a national basis in adult and paediatric patients using previously published data
• Implementing mandatory screening for malnutrition at admission by means of easy-to-use tools
• Budget impact analysis on the potential for hospital-based nutrition care programs to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs for hospitalized patients

Stakeholders

• SINPE – Società Italiana di Nutrizione Artificiale e Metabolismo
• SIGENP – Società Italiana di Gastroenterologia e Nutrizione Pediatrica
• ADI – Associazione Italiana di Dietetica e Nutrizione Clinica
• FADOI – Federazione delle Associazioni dei Dirigenti Ospedalieri Internisti
• SIGOT – Società Italiana di Geriatria Ospedale e Territorio
• ASAND – Associazione Scientifica Alimentazione Nutrizione e Dietetica
• AIEOP – Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica
• SIMG – Società Italiana di Medicina Generale
• Cittadinanza Attiva – movimento di partecipazione civica per la promozione e la tutela dei diritti dei cittadini
• FAVO – Federazione Italiana delle Associazioni dei Volontari in Oncologia
• Un Filo per la Vita – associazione italiana sulla nutrizione Artificiale Domiciliare
• AMICI – Associazione Nazionale per le Malattie Infiammatorie Croniche dell’Intestino
• SINPE-AIOM-FAVO – Intersociety Italian Working Group for Nutritional Support in Cancer
• Medical Nutrition Industry – Nestle Health Science, Fresenius Kabi, Nutricia, Baxter, Abbott, Bbraun.