Food supplements reduce hospital stay, cost

A new health economics outcomes study, conducted by leading health economists and supported by Abbott, found that oral nutritional supplements provided to patients during hospitalization could significantly reduce hospital stay by two days and save patients almost $5,000 (P210,000) in hospitalization cost.

“Research shows that using oral nutritional supplements can help reduce the length of stay and associated hospital costs. This is, indeed, good news for 4 out of 10 hospitalized Filipino patients who are nutritionally at risk since most of them shoulder their hospital expenses out of their own pockets,” according to Dr. Marianna Sioson, president of the Philippine Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.