[Knowledge and application of the HAS recommendations concerning the diagnosis of undernutrition in people aged 70 and above: an international online survey among members of the "Société Française de Gériatrie et de Gérontologie"].

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the knowledge and the use in clinical practice of the "French National Authority for Health" (HAS) 2021 recommendations on the diagnosis of malnutrition in older adults aged 70 years and above.

Methods: An online survey was developed by the working Group on Geriatrics and Nutrition (GEGN) of the "Société Française de Gériatrie et de Gérontologie (SFGG)" and conducted among members of the SFGG. A self-administered questionnaire composed of 21 closed questions was used.

Results: A total of 132 (10.2 %) members of the SFGG responded to the survey. The respondents were aged 43.4 ± 9.94 years old and 97 (73.5 %) were women. Almost half of them were medical doctors (n = 53 ; 40.2 %). Of the respondents, 81 % had already heard of the HAS 2021 recommendations. This percentage is higher for doctors (96 %) than for other professions (74 %). French respondents were more likely to have heard of these -recommendations (84 %) than respondents from other countries (42.9 %). However, only 41.6 % of the respondents believe they know these recommendations in detail. On a visual analogue scale from 0 (never) to 100 (always), respondents use these recommendations in their professional practice at 76.8 ± 20.2 %. However, on a scale from 0 (never difficult) to 100 (always difficult), some barriers to their use in clinical practice were highlighted. These mainly concerned the measurement of muscle mass (84.4 ± 17.2 %) and muscle strength (79.5 ± 19.9 %) in patients.

Conclusion: Although the majority of respondents use the HAS 2021 recommendations in their professional practice, they often have difficulties in measuring muscle strength and muscle mass of their patients. The assessment of sarcopenia still needs to be implemented in clinical routine. Until then, better communication about simple alternatives that do not require special equipment is needed.