The Impact of Education Sources on Patient Compliance with the Recommended Oral Nutritional Supplement (ONS) Intake: A Qualitative Survey

Background Nutritional support through oral nutritional supplements (ONSs) is important for patients. It leads to improved nutritional intake and better clinical and economic outcomes. Objectives The problem that often accompanies the use of ONSs is their consumption below the optimal prescribed doses. One of the reasons for this is patient education on the importance of ONS intake. This study investigated hospitalized patients and focused on the impact that educational sources have on ONS intake. It also investigated patient compliance with the intake of the prescribed dose, and the time of initiation and discontinuation of ONS consumption. Methods A qualitative survey using an anonymous questionnaire was conducted on 120 hospital patients across three locations in the Republic of Croatia: Varaždin General Hospital, the Special Hospital for Chronic Diseases in Novi Marof, and the hospital for lung diseases and tuberculosis in Klenovnik. Data were collected by independent nurses and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests, including Shapiro-Wilk, Levene, Mann-Whitney, and χ 2 tests. Results There is a statistically significant difference between compliance with the intake at home and the source of information on how to consume ONSs ( p = 0.003). There is also a statistically significant difference between compliance with intake at home and the initiation of ONS consumption ( p = 0.000) with a key time of six months (half a year) when most of them give up. Conclusions Only 47.95% complied with the recommended dose of ONS intake at home who received the information from a nurse, if we look at the information source. There is a clear need to change patient education by developing a standardized form and tools accessible to patients. After six months, most patients discontinue ONS consumption. Further research is necessary to determine whether a medical specialist is the reason for discontinuation, or whether discontinuation happened due to insufficient education on the importance of ONS intake.