Current practices and challenges in nutrition support team activities, 2025 in Korea: a multicenter cross-sectional descriptive study

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the current practices, activities, and challenges of nutrition support teams (NSTs) in Korea. The assessment was conducted as part of the 4th NST Leadership Program of the Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition held in 2025, which seeks to foster leadership and enhance team functionality.Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted in February 2025 among 54 NST members from 44 institutions. The survey explored team composition, consultation volume, educational programs, barriers to implementation, institutional support, and reimbursement challenges.Results: Of the 44 participating hospitals, most (86.4%) operated a single NST, with multidisciplinary physician involvement from over three specialties in 77.2% of cases. Inpatient referrals to NSTs were generally low, with less than 10% at 63% of institutions. Only 40.9% had an individual office, and formal incentive systems were reported in 18.1% of hospitals. Educational programs for in-hospital staff were limited (29.5%), and less than half conducted regular academic meetings. Rates of adoption of NST recommendations varied widely, with barriers including a lack of engagement from attending physicians, failure to review the recommendations, and department-specific clinical policies. Efforts to promote NST activation included computerized prescription systems, automated referral workflows, staff education, and quality improvement initiatives. Participants focused on sharing effective NST cases, building incentives, exchanging clinical insights, clarifying team roles and leadership, and developing unified practice guidelines.Conclusion: NSTs in Korea are well established but face ongoing challenges in collaboration and sustainability. Continued leadership and policy support are crucial for enhancing team performance and improving patient outcomes.