A Study on the Effectiveness of Using Instructional Media for the Preparation of Tube Feeding Diet in Patients Recuperating at Home

Abstract

Introduction:  Approximately 30-40% of patients admitted to hospitals experience malnutrition before their hospitalization. Even patients without pre-existing malnutrition may develop increased energy and nutrient needs due to their illness, trauma, or surgical procedures. Some patients may require enteral feeding, which can cause anxiety for both patients and caregivers regarding the preparation of enteral nutrition at home. Therefore, a home enteral feeding preparation guide has been developed to ensure that patients receive proper and complete nutrition according to the physician’s instructions and treatment plan.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching aid designed for the preparation of tube feeding for home care patients to ensure that patients receive appropriate and sufficient nutrition as prescribed by their physicians in accordance with their treatment plans.

Methodology: A total of 100 volunteer patients were instructed on an individual basis on how to prepare tube feeding diet. Follow-up was conducted once a month for two months after returning home.

Results:  The findings indicate that the use of the teaching aid significantly improved the ability of patients and their families to correctly and adequately prepare tube feeding as per medical orders. Comparative analysis of pre-and post-training assessments revealed a substantial significant increase in understanding, with mean scores rising from 1.37 (SD = 0.75) from a total score=5 to 4.46 (SD = 2.45) from a total score = 5 This represents a mean difference of 3.09, with a 95% confidence interval 2.58 to 3.6 and a p-value of <0.001

Conclusion: After learning from the clear and easy-to-understand instructional media on tube feeding preparation, including illustrations, patients and their relatives could prepare tube feeding diet correctly, hygienically, and completely as prescribed by doctors. This can help reduce gastrointestinal infections and the risk of malnutrition in patients.