Patients’ manifesto to raise awareness on Disease Related Malnutrition

17th May 2017

The Patients General Alliance, a member of másnutridos Alliance, has presented the “Patients’ Manifesto to raise awareness on DRM”.

Besides the President of the Patients General Alliance (Antonio Bernal), members of the Spanish Patients Forum, Spanish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SENPE) and Spanish Society of General Practitioners (SEMERGEN), participated in the act.

The Manifesto has been supported by 26 patients associations, scientific societies and professional colleges.

The act took place in Madrid, in the SEMERGEN office, and was well attended by journalists, members of másnutridos Alliance and patients.

This document has been raised within the action plan of the másnutridos Alliance with the aim of achieving a multidisciplinary approach to DRM, supported by 26 partners from patients associations to scientific societies and professional colleges. The Manifesto contains several strategic lines, from the education of the professionals, patients and caregivers, the use of screening tools in all the clinical settings, to the adequate nutritional treatment and monitoring of the patients.

The Manifesto also includes the need to create a Framework Document in Spain on DRM in the NHS, that should be followed by all the Spanish regions, to assure the equity in all the country.

DRM affects to 30 million people in Europe. In Spain, 30-50% of hospitalized patients are malnourished. The prevalence of malnutrition increases with the age of the population, especially in the pluripatologic patient, over 70 years old, in the hospital.