Mississippi State University and OCH Regional Medical Center have come together to study the impact of freezer meals on hospital readmission rates for older adults.
The study is titled “Meals Enhancing Nutrition after Discharge,” or MEND.
The study evaluates the efficacy and feasibility of a frozen meal program designed to improve nutritional intake and reduce hospital readmissions for recently discharged older adults.
MSU researcher Dr. David R. Buys and OCH Registered Dietitian Nicky Yeatman, believe this approach is worth a try.
“The most critical time after discharge are those first few days back at home,” Buys said. “Research shows when older adults go home from the hospital, many are living on a fixed income and having to make the decision to either get their prescriptions filled or purchase food. These meals are intended to bridge the gap from the hospital to the later phase of recovery.”
OCH registered dietitians start the program by identifying patients who fit the criteria for the study and those patients are given the opportunity to voluntarily participate. MSU researchers will then contact each to conduct further assessments at the bedside of the patient and track the patient’s progress over 45 days.
OCH said a total of 24 older adults will be selected for the study, with half of the group receiving standard of care nutrition education and the other half receiving the education plus 10 frozen meals provided by Morrison Health Care.
“Being involved in this study is a great opportunity not just for our hospital but also for our patients,” Yeatman said. “So often, this population of people with medical conditions return home from the hospital without much family support, and they don’t feel like cooking a healthy meal so they eat canned soups and meats with a high sodium content. These frozen meals are not only nutritionally balanced and low in fat and sodium, but they also taste good so patients will actually eat them.”
Apart from patient health, the program could also help keep OCH from losing Medicare reimbursement. In October 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began penalizing hospitals with excessive readmission rates by reducing Medicare payments.
“Studies show poor nutrition is a significant risk of hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge, so we’re hoping this program can intervene and help decrease those numbers,” Yeatman said. “If this study proves beneficial for patients and lowers readmission rates, hospitals may be willing to invest in this type of frozen meal program.”