[Assessment using NutriQoL® of quality-of-life changes during the first six months of home enteral nutrition delivered orally].

Introduction

home enteral nutrition (HEN), through oral supplements or nasogastric tube (NGT), gastrostomy (GTP) or jejunostomy, aims to avoid prolonged hospitalization and prevent or correct malnutrition.

Objectives

to assess changes in quality of life (QoL) in HEN patients using the NutriQoL® tool and the EuroQol-5D questionnaire. To identify the potential association between QoL levels measured by NutriQoL® and patient-reported symptoms, clinical status changes, and treatment adherence.

Methods

prospective, descriptive, real-world observational study in adult patients who were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and received home enteral nutrition exclusively as oral supplementation for 6 months. HRQoL was assessed using NutriQoL® (months 1, 3, and 6) and EQ-5D (baseline and months 1, 3, and 6). Intestinal tolerance symptoms and adherence were recorded.

Results

a total of 590 patients were included, with a mean age of 73.1 years (SD 13.54). The most common conditions were cancer (39.8 %) and neurodegenerative diseases (31.4 %). According to the MUST scale, 56.4 % were at high risk of malnutrition. NutriQoL® revealed a gradual and significant improvement in QoL from month 1 (65.13, SD 14.3) to month 6 (68.67, SD 14.3; p ≤ 0.001). The EuroQol-5D self-assessment questionnaire also showed QoL improvements at months 1, 3, and 6 compared to baseline data (p < 0.001). Adherence levels exceeded 88 % throughout the study.

Conclusions

HEN improves QoL and the clinical outcome of patients at risk of malnutrition, including those with diverse pathologies. The NutriQoL® questionnaire is an accurate and reliable tool to assess these benefits in a real clinical context.