Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool Essay -- Health, Diseases

This assignment will discuss a trust adapted version of the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). It will demonstrate an understanding of theoretical knowledge used to develop the assessment tool. The assignment will focus on three components within the tool; discussing the reliability and validity when used in a clinical environment. A reflection of my own experience using the tool will be included and linked to aspects of reliability. Any issues with reliability will be identified and suggestions given on how they can be corrected to aid future use. MUST is a five-step screening tool designed for healthcare professionals to identify adult patients who at risk of, or are malnourished. It includes guidelines on how to develop an effective treatment plan. The Malnutrition Advisory Group (MAG) in 2000 adapted and extended their community screening tool to include care homes and hospitals, in response to national concerns. (Department of Health, 2001). In 2003 MUST was designed by MAG and the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). It was piloted across many care settings, to target patients who may be at risk of malnutrition. I have chosen this tool as it is widely used in healthcare; however malnutrition is often unrecognised and mismanaged. According BAPEN some three million people in the UK are at risk or are malnourished. Malnutrition can affect a patient physically, mentally and can also increase recovery time (Zellipour, & Stratton, 2005). This assignment will help me understand the theory and rationale behind the development of the MUST. The first component of the MUST involves measuring the patient’s height and weight to establish their Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is the’ relationship b... ...n or ulna length as-well-as the type of measuring device used to weight the patient for example chair or hoist scale. This would enable the assessment to be carried out each time using the same measurement and equipment, which would make the test fair and more reliable (Medical Education Division, 2007). This assignment has discussed the theory and development of a trust adapted version of the MUST. A rationale of my choice has been included and linked to specific learning objectives. A discussion regarding the three components of this tool has been included; these have been linked to validity and reliability. Finally a reflection of my experiences using the MUST in a medical care of the elderly ward has been included with regards to aspects of reliability and theories about how these can be overcome to aid future use-age in a clinical setting.