Misidentifying Malnutrition: The Assessment Gap Behind Every Missed Diagnosis

Course overview

This course examines why malnutrition is so frequently missed in clinical practice and what assessment gaps allow it to go undetected across a range of patient populations. Participants explore the limitations of weight-centric screening tools, the diagnostic challenges posed by sarcopenic obesity and pediatric and geriatric patients, and the etiology-based frameworks established by current consensus standards. The course also covers nutrition-focused physical examination, intake documentation, interprofessional communication across care transitions, and the responsibilities that follow a late or missed identification.