Appropriate Documentation of a Malnutrition Diagnosis

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Hospital Care
Country
United States of America
Publishing Organisation
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Avalere Health: Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative (MQii)
Type of Quality Indicator
Process
IOM Quality Dimension
Effectiveness
Domain
Service Delivery and Care Planning

Defining Attributes

Definition

The percentage of patients who have a completed nutrition assessment with appropriate documentation of a malnutrition diagnosis in their medical record.

Numerator

Patients with a documented diagnosis of malnutrition.

Denominator

Patients age 65 years and older admitted to inpatient care who have a completed nutrition assessment with findings of malnutrition documented in their medical record.

Exclusions

Patients with a length of stay of less than 24 hours; Patients who left against medical advice (AMA); Patients discharged to hospice care.

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments

None

Stratifications

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Electronic/paper chart records
Data Collection Methods

Electronic Health Record and Chart Abstracted Clinical Data

Frequency of Data Collection
Annually
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
365
Reporting Methods
Reporting Frequency
Annually
Reporting Frequency in Days
365
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Evidence Source

malnutritionquality.org/ Valladares AF, Kilgore KM, Partridge J, Sulo S, Kerr KW, McCauley S. How a Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative Furthers Malnutrition Measurement and Care: Results From a Hospital Learning Collaborative. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2021; 45(2):366-71.

Link to Measurement Tools
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
Yes
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
02 December 2025