“A law enforcing the Nutrition Care Process would ensure all patients…will receive adequate nutrition care as a standard protocol towards improving patient outcomes, reduced hospital stays, and lower healthcare costs”
Good nutrition is a fundamental pillar of health and wellbeing.
It plays a crucial role in patient recovery, contributing significantly to the healing process.
The Department of Health Administrative Order 2019-0033 outlines the Nutrition Care Process, a systematic approach to providing high-quality nutrition care, which is essential in disease prevention, treatment, and management.
Nutrition is integral to patient recovery for several reasons.
First, it aids in healing. Proper nutrition provides the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals that are essential for the repair and regeneration of tissues.
Second, it helps reduce the risk of infections. A well-nourished body has a stronger immune system, enabling it to fight off infections more effectively.
Last, good nutrition helps maintain weight and strength, which are vital for recovery and overall health.
However, despite its importance, patient nutrition is often neglected in clinical settings.
Many patients face a decline in nutritional status during their hospital stay, including those who were adequately nourished upon admission.
This underscores the need for a systematic approach to nutrition care, such as the Nutrition Care Process.
In a recent roundtable discussion titled “Strengthening Nutrition Integration in the Health System: Evaluating the Nutrition Care Process in the Philippines,” co-organized by the Stratbase Institute and Universal Health Care Watch, health experts unanimously agreed on the importance of providing adequate nutrition to hospitalized patients to expedite their recovery, thereby reducing the duration of hospital stays and overall healthcare costs.
The forum brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including officials from the Department of Health, the Board of Nutrition and Dietetics of the Professional Regulation Commission, healthcare professionals, academics, civil society organizations, and patient advocates.
Mr. Rupert Paul Manhit. Chief Operating Officer of the Stratbase Group, in his opening remarks cited a June 2023 Pulse Asia survey that revealed health and avoiding illness is the most urgent personal concern of 67 percent of Filipinos.
“Nutritional status is critical in attaining economic security. At the basic level, poverty is one of the most significant causes of under-nutrition, exacerbated by the upward trend of food inflation in 2024.” Manhit said.
Dr. Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong, DOH Undersecretary for Health Regulation and Facility Development, emphasized the mandate of the Nutrition and Dietetics Law, which requires the provision of medical nutrition therapy to patients through the Nutrition Care Process.
According to the protocols stipulated in DOH Administrative Order 2019-0033, patients should undergo nutrition screening by registered nurses upon admission and those requiring nutrition therapy are then referred for assessment by a registered nutritionist-dietitian.
Virgith Buena, Chairperson of the PRC’s Board of Nutrition and Dietetics, underscored the pivotal role of RNDs in assessing patients’ nutritional needs.
“RNDs have a broader concept of wellness, plus the prevention and treatment of conditions by using food as medicine,” Buena explained.
However, implementation challenges were raised such as insufficient management support, inadequate training, resource and staffing constraints, communication gaps, and redundancy with other healthcare professionals.
Dr. Jose Rodolfo Dimaano Jr. of the Abbott Center for Malnutrition Solutions emphasized the need for collaboration among different healthcare professionals and how the private sector could assist in generating data to support decision-makers.
“We believe that nutrition is, of course, a human right. So, it is the right of every patient in the hospital to be given or administered a nutritional intervention,” Dr. Dimaano said.
Dr. Aguedo “Troy” Gepte IV, author of a policy paper commissioned by the Stratbase Institute evaluating the integration of NCP within the Philippine healthcare framework, raised the need for a law to ensure implementation and institutionalize a more comprehensive strategy for educational programs and interdisciplinary cooperation.
Dr. Gabrielle Ann Dela Paz https://www.facebook.com/groups/119352242018806/-Tolang, Chief of the Policy, Planning, and Program Development Division at the DOH Health Facility Development Bureau, explained that the NCP should be considered an investment rather than an added expense.
It has the potential to decrease patients’ admission time and hospitalization costs, thereby alleviating congestion in hospitals.
The concept of “food as medicine” underscores the importance of integrating nutrition in healthcare as essential for well-being and can serve as a therapeutic tool in maintaining health and treating diseases.
A law enforcing the Nutrition Care Process would ensure all patients, regardless of their financial status, will receive adequate nutrition care as a standard protocol towards improving patient outcomes, reduced hospital stays, and lower healthcare costs.