Clinical guide
Nutrition Screening in Physical Therapy
Screening is a short check for risk. It is not a diagnosis of malnutrition and it is not a diet prescription.
Screening versus diagnosis
A screen asks whether a problem might exist. A diagnosis names the problem and is tied to the profession that is licensed to make it. Tools such as the Malnutrition Screening Tool were built to flag risk so a nutrition professional can assess the person. A physical therapist can use questions from those tools. Using the questions does not create a malnutrition diagnosis in the therapy record.
Clues that belong in a therapy visit
- Unplanned weight loss that the patient reports.
- Appetite loss, nausea, or a new texture the patient cannot eat.
- Wounds, pressure injuries, or repeated infections alongside poor intake.
- Fatigue that limits the session and is not explained by the musculoskeletal findings alone.
- A patient who says they are skipping meals because of pain, money, or dentition.
A simple pathway
Ask
Two or three intake questions during the history. Write the patient’s words, not a diagnosis.
Educate
General points about regular meals, protein-containing foods, and fluids, if that education is inside your scope.
Refer
Send the person to a registered dietitian, physician, or speech-language pathologist when swallowing, a disease-specific diet, or possible malnutrition is the issue.
Related resources
Documentation
How to record a screen without overstating it.
Nutrition Assessment course
Requires Introduction to Nutrition. The course teaches screening; it does not license diagnosis.
Can a PT give nutrition advice?
The existing scope guide.
Assessment is the second course
The Nutrition Assessment course covers diet history and screening tools. Successful completion of Introduction to Nutrition is required.