Continuity of Clinical Nutrition Care from Hospital to Home

Malnutrition and insufficient nutritional support in patients with chronic and malignant diseases are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. While evidence-based in-hospital nutrition support has improved in many countries, continuity of nutrition care after hospital discharge remains inconsistent. Barriers such as lack of specialized professionals, reimbursement challenges, limited product availability, and fragmented healthcare systems hinder effective outpatient nutrition support.

This Research Topic aims to gather evidence on implementation strategies, health system models, and clinical effectiveness of integrated, trans-sectoral nutrition support in diverse healthcare settings and patient populations around the world. To advance evidence-based practice, it is sought to identify common as well as country-specific challenges and to outline solutions to these problems.

In this collection, we compile original research reporting results from both clinical trials and observational studies. Submissions should address research questions related to the continuation of nutrition support after hospital discharge. Moreover, we welcome contributions in the form of systematic reviews and meta-analyses that aggregate results from already published research on the transition of medical nutrition therapy into the outpatient setting. Authors are also invited to submit study protocols of trials designed to test such interventions. Finally, we consider conceptual papers that describe frameworks for novel approaches to patient-centered trans-sectoral nutrition care.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Nutrition Therapy, Nutritional Support, Trans-Sectoral, Outpatients, Medical Nutrition Therapy, Clinical Nutrition, Community Setting, Malnutrition

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.