Problems Associated with the Management of Nutrition Support Team in Hospitals in Korea

우리나라 병원에서의 영양지원팀 운영과 관련된 문제점에 관한 연구: 한 대학병원의 경우

The goal of this research was to identify problems associated with the management of nutrition support team (NST) in hospitals in Korea. Management status of NST in the hospitals was surveyed over the phone or interviewed by visit during August 2007. NST in foreign countries was collected by reference search and websites in the internet. Survey analysis also was performed during March, 2007 with forty-one medical staff in a university hospital located in Jinju, Kyungsangnamdo. Korean Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (KSPEN) was organized in 2001 and currently has thirty-three member hospitals with on-site NST as of August, 2007. Most of the member hospitals were big hospitals with more than 500 beds and were organized within five years. The most significant problem identified was the shortage of nutrition specialists exclusively involved in the NST. Survey analysis revealed that more than half of medical staff prescribed parenteral nutrition based on their own nutrition requirement calculation rather than consultation with NST. It appears that status of NST management of hospitals in Korea are considered to be at beginner stage and therefore, needs more aggressive advertising activity to increase consultation usage by medical staff.