Annals of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Current practices and challenges in nutrition support team activities, 2025 in Korea: a multicenter cross-sectional descriptive study: So Hyun Nam; Ann Clin Nutr Metab 2025;17(2):97-103. Published online August 1, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.15747/ACNM.25.0026

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the current practices, activities, and challenges of nutrition support teams (NSTs) in Korea. The assessment was conducted as part of the 4th NST Leadership Program of the Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition held in 2025, which seeks to foster leadership and enhance team functionality.
Methods
A nationwide survey was conducted in February 2025 among 54 NST members from 44 institutions. The survey explored team composition, consultation volume, educational programs, barriers to implementation, institutional support, and reimbursement challenges.
Results
Of the 44 participating hospitals, most (86.4%) operated a single NST, with multidisciplinary physician involvement from over three specialties in 77.2% of cases. Inpatient referrals to NSTs were generally low, with less than 10% at 63% of institutions. Only 40.9% had an individual office, and formal incentive systems were reported in 18.1% of hospitals. Educational programs for in-hospital staff were limited (29.5%), and less than half conducted regular academic meetings. Rates of adoption of NST recommendations varied widely, with barriers including a lack of engagement from attending physicians, failure to review the recommendations, and department-specific clinical policies. Efforts to promote NST activation included computerized prescription systems, automated referral workflows, staff education, and quality improvement initiatives. Participants focused on sharing effective NST cases, building incentives, exchanging clinical insights, clarifying team roles and leadership, and developing unified practice guidelines.
Conclusion
NSTs in Korea are well established but face ongoing challenges in collaboration and sustainability. Continued leadership and policy support are crucial for enhancing team performance and improving patient outcomes.

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Effect of Nutritional Intervention by the Nutrition Support Team on Postnatal Growth in Preterm Infants: So Jin Yoon, Joo Hee Lim, Soon Min Lee, Sun Jung Kim, Sun Kyung Lee, Soo Min Lee; J Clin Nutr 2020;12(2):26-33. Published online December 31, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.15747/jcn.2020.12.2.26

Purpose: Nutritional intervention by an interdisciplinary nutrition support team (NST) can potentially improve postnatal growth outcomes in preterm infants. This study aimed to measure the growth impact of a nutritional intervention package performed by an NST in a quality improvement effort in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Methods: Fifty-two infants born below 2,000 g and admitted to NICU participated in the Quality Improvement (QI) program between March 2016 and February 2017. The nutritional intervention was applied according to newly established nutritional guidelines on parenteral and enteral nutrition, and an NST performed a weekly nutritional assessment. The Z-scores of weight, height, and head circumference were calculated according to the gestational age and sex. The clinical impact on postnatal growth was compared between the QI and pre-QI groups. The pre-QI group included 69 infants admitted in the same NICU between 2014 and 2015.
Results: The time to the initiation of enteral nutrition decreased significantly (P<0.001). Changes in weight (P=0.027), head circumference (P=0.003), Z-scores between birth, and 40 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) were significantly larger in the QI than the pre-QI group. The percentage of infants weighing below the 10th percentile at one month after birth and at 40 weeks PCA was higher in the pre-QI than the QI group.
Conclusion: The implementation of evidence-based best practices for preterm nutrition resulted in significant improvements in the growth outcomes in preterm infants.

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Nutrition Supply and Growth Post Nutrition Support Team Activity in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Hye Min Ha, Yu Jin Jung, Yoo Rha Hong, So Yoon Choi
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition.2024; 27(5): 313. CrossRef

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Analysis of Compliance with Plan of Nutritional Support Team in Intensive Care Unit: Eunkyoung Kim, Jingyeong Kim, YunJu Park, Soyoung Baek, JinJu Lee, AeHee Lee, Jae Im Lee, Chang Hyeok An, Maru Kim; Surg Metab Nutr 2016;7(2):29-31. Published online December 30, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.18858/smn.2016.7.2.29

Abstract PDF

Purpose:

To improve the nutritional state of patients, cooperation between medical and nutritional support teams is needed. The present study analyzed compliance with the plan of the nutritional support team.

Materials and Methods:

From September 2015 to February 2016, patients undergoing consultation with the nutritional support team at an intensive care unit was enrolled in the study. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed.

Results:

A total of 123 patients were analyzed. Overall compliance was 56.9% (70/123). Main reason of the non-compliant group was change in patient’s condition (44/53).

Conclusion:

To improve compliance with the medical team, there is a need to assess patients’ condition more rapidly.