Assessment of Nutritional Services Provided for Hepatitis C Patients Attending the National Nutrition Institute in Cairo

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is common among chronic liver diseases patients. Thorough nutritional counseling should insure adequate dietary intake of different nutrients to prevent malnutrition and improves the prognosis. Maintenance of weight loss and exercise in overweight patients with liver disease results in a sustained improvement in liver enzymes, serum insulin levels, and quality of life. Adequate nutritional service is mandatory to overcome the challenge for obese Hepatitis C patients on a dietary regimen to supply adequate nutrients. Aim of the Study: To assess the effect of nutritional counseling provided for obese Hepatitis C on their dietary pattern. Subjects and Methods: This is an operational study that was conducted on NNI outpatient hepatic clinic. Two groups of those receiving and providing the nutritional services were interviewed; a sample of 120 obese Hepatitis C patients attending the NNI for at least the second time to follow-up their nutritional status (only 100 of patients agreed to complete the questionnaire and the 24 hour food intake recall with a response rate of 83.3%), all the health care providers in the outpatient hepatic clinic were interviewed. Multiple data collecting tools were used; direct informal observation of activities for hepatic patients attending the NIOHC. Review of existing documents: Policies, protocols, standard operating procedures. Review of the health record system. Results: The results of the analysis of the exit questionnaire showed insufficient provided services and insufficient satisfaction of studied patients. Conclusion: This study concluded that there was lack of standard nutritional services provided for HCPs. Many factors have contributed to the ineffectiveness of this service. There are opportunities for improvement of the nutritional services provided to HCPs.