Annals of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Special Article

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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Review Article

Reimbursement of Nutritional Support Team, What Is the Problem and How Can We Manage It?: Dongwoo Shin; J Clin Nutr 2015;7(1):2-8. Published online April 30, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.15747/jcn.2015.7.1.2

Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare launched legislation for reimbursement for Nutrition Support Team (NST) activities from August 1st, 2014, which can be applied as a flat rate fee per day once a week. The indicated patients are those with hypoalbuminemia, on parenteral nutrition or enteral nutrition, critically ill patients in intensive care unit’s, and any patient on suspicion of malnutrition by the physician in charge. NST should be comprised of a professional physician, an educated nurse, an educated pharmacist, and a professional and experienced dietitian. The maximum number of patients that can be treated by one NST is 30 per day. Such a reimbursement system has resulted in some complex problems with NSTs. The low price does not provide adequate reward for the team’s workload because the output of NST belongs to the department in charge and there is no ensured incentive. The Department of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service cannot detect the quality problem of NST, non-compliance of physicians in charge. There are no stratified codes according to severity of disease and no difference between the first visit and the repeated visit. Every NST should be certified with accreditation and should participate in a qualified education program. Korea Health Insurance does not cover the fees for feeding tubes, formulas, and pumps. Evidence that NST activities can reduce medical cost of hospital-admitted in-patients is needed. Cost-effectiveness can be achieved by quality improvement of NST.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

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. CrossRef
Identifying the nutrition support nurses’ tasks using importance–performance analysis in Korea: a descriptive study
Jeong Yun Park
Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2023; 20: 3. CrossRef
Effect of the Timing of Nutritional Support Team Intervention on Nutritional Status on Patients Receiving Enteral Nutrition
Su Hyun Kim, So Young Bu
Clinical Nutrition Research.2021; 10(1): 1. CrossRef
A Survey of Home Enteral Nutrition Practices and Reimbursement in the Asia Pacific Region
Alvin Wong, Merrilyn D. Banks, Judith D. Bauer
Nutrients.2018; 10(2): 214. CrossRef

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