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Society
25% of Public Healthcare Patients Suffer from Malnutrition Due to a Shortage of Dietitians-Nutritionists
Silvia Martín, Andrea Micó, and Eva Gascó are dietitians-nutritionists with permanent positions at La Fe Hospital in València, representing a minority in the Valencian public healthcare system where the number of these professionals does not exceed twenty, with only eight of them holding a permanent position and none in Primary Care. Their work is crucial for improving the nutrition of the Valencian population, as 25% of hospitalized patients suffer from malnutrition. According to the Official College of Dietitians-Nutritionists of the Valencian Community (Codinucova), proper nutrition could reduce hospital stays by an average of 3%, saving up to 99 euros for every euro invested in dietary treatment.
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Malnutrition in hospitalized patients is a public health problem that affects healthcare systems worldwide, not just in the Valencian Community or Spain. The World Health Organization has repeatedly highlighted the importance of proper nutrition as an integral part of patients' recovery process. Malnutrition can lead to a decrease in immunity, increase susceptibility to infections, and prolong recovery times, which in turn increases the duration of hospital stays and the costs associated with healthcare. In Spain, the inclusion of dietitians-nutritionists in the healthcare system has been a topic of debate and development in recent decades. Although their importance is increasingly recognized, the proportion of these professionals in public...
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