INTRODUCTION: in homecare practice, nurses are central actors for the screening of individuals at risks of undernutrition.CONTEXT: in Switzerland, homecare nurses estimate the nutritional status of care recipients by means of a standardized geriatric assessment done with the RAI-HC.AIMS: The aim of the study is to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of the « nutritional status » score, the body mass index and the weight loss documented from the RAI-HC.METHOD: a sample of 267 homecare recipients aged 65 was assessed using the RAI-HC and the MNA-SF®. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve were estimated for the RAI-HC measures, with the MNA-SF® as the gold standard reference.RESULTS: for the scores considered, sensitivity varied between 16.51 % and 68.81 %, specificity between 66.94 % and 99.37 %, and areas under the curve between 0.579 at 0.708.DISCUSSION: the diagnostic accuracy of the RAI-HC indicators is not sufficient for an optimal screening of undernutrition in older homecare recipients.CONCLUSION: an additional assessment with the MNA-SF® is recommended to optimize the early screening of individuals at risks of undernutrition.
Aged Geriatric Assessment