A systematic review of the cost and cost effectiveness of using standard oral nutritional supplements in community and care home settings

Summary Background & aims Despite the clinical benefits of using standard (non-disease specific) oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in the community and care homes, there is uncertainty about their economic consequences. Methods A systematic review was undertaken according to recommended procedures to assess whether ONS can produce cost savings and cost-effective outcomes. Results 19 publications with and without a hospital component were identified: 9 full text papers, 9 abstracts, and 1 report with retrospective analyses of 6 randomised controlled trials. From these publications a total of 31 cost and 4 cost-effectiveness analyses were identified. Most were retrospective analyses based on clinical data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs). In 9 studies/economic models involving ONS use for