Investigation On The Relevant Aspects Of Enteral Nutrition Therapy Among Elderly Care Medical Staff In Multiple Centers In Shandong Province

ObjectiveWith the increasing aging of the population,malnutrition among the elderly has emerged as a critical public health issue.Among hospitalized elderly patients,malnutrition has been reported to affect as many as 30-60%of cases.The consequences of malnutrition can be severe,including a decline in physiological function,an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases,and higher rates of hospitalization and mortality.This creates a significant burden for social support systems that care for the elderly.Therefore,effective enteral nutrition treatment for elderly patients is of paramount importance.Despite the importance of enteral nutrition treatment,few studies have examined the cognitive status of enteral nutrition knowledge among medical staff in China.This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the mastery of enteral nutrition knowledge,implementation experience,and willingness to continue education among medical staff in geriatric departments,nursing homes,and elderly care institutions across multiple hospitals in Shandong Province.By identifying the factors that influence enteral nutrition knowledge among medical staff,this study provides practical suggestions for continuing education programs aimed at improving the effectiveness and rationality of enteral nutrition treatment for elderly patients.MethodsThis study was conducted from September 2021 to November 2022,using a self-designed questionnaire titled "Survey of Enteral Nutrition Knowledge,Clinical Management Experience,and Learning Willingness among Medical and Nursing Staff".The questionnaire was developed following expert consultation and pre-survey.A convenient sampling method was used to conduct an online survey of 387 medical and nursing staff from geriatric departments,nursing homes,and elderly care homes in Shandong Province.The survey aimed to analyze the current status of medical and nursing staff’s enteral nutrition knowledge,management experience,and learning willingness,as well as to explore relevant influencing factors.ResultsA total of 401 questionnaires were collected in this survey,with 387 valid questionnaires,resulting in an effective response rate of 96.5%.1.Survey Results:The score of the enteral nutrition knowledge questionnaire for medical staff was 8.28±2.91(out of 17 points),including 3.18 ± 1.26(out of 6 points)for items related to nutrition screening and evaluation,2.34±1.44(out of 5 points)for items related to the selection and formulation of nutritional preparations,and 2.76 ± 1.11(out of 6 points)for items related to the management of complications in enteral nutrition.The scores of the clinical management experience and learning willingness questionnaire were 5.57±2.03(out of 9 points)and 3.63±0.67(out of 4 points),respectively.2.Factors Analysis:Multiple linear regression results showed that job title and unit level were the main influencing factors for medical staffs knowledge of enteral nutrition,while job title,years of working and unit level were the main influencing factors for medical staffs management experience with enteral nutrition.profession,job title,and unit level were the main influencing factors for medical staffs willingness to learn about enteral nutrition.3.Among all the units surveyed in this study,the management experience of medical staff with different enteral nutrition techniques ranked from high to low as follows:nasogastric tube feeding(93.57%),nasogastric tube feeding(57.02%),and gastrostomy/enterostomy(26.32%).4.Ways for Medical Staff to Acquire Enteral Nutrition Knowledge:The ways for medical staff to acquire enteral nutrition knowledge were through books and literature(31.33%),accumulation of clinical work experience(26.00%),training courses(15.33%),and online resources(12.67%).Medical staff showed the highest willingness to obtain enteral nutrition knowledge through online resources(32.00%).ConclusionThis study aimed to assess the extent of cognitive understanding of enteral nutrition among medical staff in geriatric departments,nursing homes,and elderly care institutions across several hospitals in Shandong province.The findings suggest that overall,medical staff exhibit poor knowledge of enteral nutrition,particularly with respect to nutritional supplements,complications associated with enteral nutrition,nasal feeding tubes,and gastric/intestinal stoma-related knowledge.Factors such as job titles and unit levels were found to have a significant impact on the level of understanding of enteral nutrition knowledge,with higher job titles and unit levels correlated with better mastery of enteral nutrition knowledge,although a lack of overall training experience was also observed.Furthermore,it was observed that medical staff are highly motivated to receive continuing education in enteral nutrition,but those with lower unit levels and job titles exhibit weak willingness to learn.Appropriate measures must therefore be taken to improve their learning enthusiasm.Suggestion1.Emphasis should be placed on strengthening the weak link of knowledge about enteral nutrition.2.Institutions should strengthen the training of young physicians by adopting multi-faceted and flexible approaches,such as literature review,departmental lectures,online open courses,and training programs.Incentive mechanisms should also be established to motivate medical staff to actively engage in learning.3.Superior departments should increase their attention to the nutrition training of medical staff in grassroots hospitals,nursing homes,and care homes,strengthen teacher training,promote communication between institutions,provide multiple channels of training,and fully leverage the leading role of tertiary hospitals.