PD116 - HOME NUTRITIONAL THERAPY IN BRAZIL: A MULTICENTER SURVEY ON STRUCTURE, CLINICAL PRACTICE AND CARE PROCESSES

PD116

HOME NUTRITIONAL THERAPY IN BRAZIL: A MULTICENTER SURVEY ON STRUCTURE, CLINICAL PRACTICE AND CARE PROCESSES

M. G. Castro^1,*, C. E. De Nadai², C. P. da Silva³, R. A. Birro⁴, S. B. Vasconcellos⁵, G. B. Fontes⁶, G. Dereste⁷, L. T. Bonfim⁸, K. B. I. de Oliveira⁴, N. C. Brant ⁹, A. P. R. Teixeira⁹ on behalf of Home Care Group

¹Medical and Scientific Affair, ²Nutrition, Fresenius Kabi, São Paulo, ³Nutrition, Grupo Saúde, João Pessoa, ⁴Nutrition, Pronep Life Care, ⁵Nutrition, Special Saúde, ⁶Nutrition, Solar cuidados em saúde, ⁷Nutrition, Home doctor, ⁸Nutrition, Plural Care, São Paulo, ⁹Nutrition, Captamed, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Rationale: Home nutritional therapy (HNT), including oral nutritional supplementation (ONS), enteral nutrition (EN), and home parenteral nutrition (HPN), is increasingly relevant in aging populations. However, data describing clinical practice of HNT services in Brazil remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the current scenario of HNT among major Brazilian home care providers.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among seven large home care companies with nationwide coverage. Data collected included patient profile, clinical indications, nutritional modalities, and care processes.

Results: Participating companies operated across multiple Brazilian regions, covering more than 70% of states. The most common indications for HNT were neurological diseases, dysphagia, and oncology, followed by malnutrition. A mean of 24,320 patients per month were assisted, of whom approximately 24% were receiving nutritional therapy. EN accounted for approximately 72.5% of HNT cases, while ONS represented 27%. HPN remained limited, representing less than 1% of patients.

Anthropometric assessment was used by all services (100%). Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) was reported by 28.6%. Functional assessment using handgrip strength and GLIM criteria were rarely applied (both 14.3%).

Conclusion: HNT services in Brazil are widely implemented and predominantly focused on elderly patients receiving enteral nutrition. Nutritional assessment is largely based on anthropometric measures, while other validated tools and functional assessments are less frequently used. These findings highlight opportunities to standardize and expand the use of comprehensive nutritional assessment methods in home care settings.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared