This project aims to tackle the critical issue of malnutrition among hospital patients by leveraging technology to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of nutritional assessments. Food is one of the last and greatest joys in life, and improving nutritional care can significantly boost patients’ well-being, life quality, and health outcomes. Malnutrition affects 20%-37.7% of hospitalized patients and up to 54% of the elderly in care homes, leading to longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and increased healthcare costs. By ensuring that patients receive the nutrition they need, we strive to make their hospital experience more comfortable and enjoyable, ultimately improving their recovery and quality of life.

Objectives

1. Enhance Nutritional Monitoring: Develop an AI-based system to monitor and assess the nutritional intake of hospital patients accurately.
2. Improve Patient Outcomes: Ensure that patients receive appropriate nutritional support, leading to better quality of life, health outcomes, and reduced hospital stays.
3. Reduce Healthcare Costs: Decrease the financial burden on hospitals by minimizing malnutrition-related complications.

Approach

Our innovative approach integrates advanced 3D imaging technology with state-of-the-art AI techniques to provide precise and comprehensive nutritional monitoring. The system will identify and quantify food items on patients’ trays, even in complex and mixed food scenarios. It will also calculate their nutritional content using data from hospital recipes and established nutrition databases.

Scientific and Social Contributions

1. Scientific Advancements: This project will push the boundaries of AI and 3D imaging technology, contributing to computer vision, machine learning, and healthcare informatics. Developing an accurate food recognition and volume estimation system will set a new standard in nutritional monitoring technology.
2. Social Impact: By improving nutritional monitoring, our system aims to enhance the quality of life for hospitalized patients, particularly the elderly, by ensuring adequate nutrition. This will lead to better health outcomes, improved quality of life, shorter hospital stays, and reduced healthcare costs. Additionally, the project addresses a critical public health issue, contributing to improving healthcare services and patient care.

Prof. Dr. Dietmar Grichnik, Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch, Dr. Raban Iten, and Dr. Robert Schreiber

Stadtspital Waid, represented by Prof. Dr. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Karin Blum, and Enrico Dahl; Kantonsspital St.Gallen, represented by Dr. Stefan Bilz, Dr. Sarah Sigrist, Rahel Giger, and Salome Lex; Kantonsspital Frauenfeld, represented by Prof. Dr. Pascal Probst, Dr. Kathrin Hauser, and Dominique Scherrer

July 2024 – June 2025

This project is funded by the Health Forward Grant of the University of St. Gallen.