This assignment will discuss a trust-adapted version of the Universal Malnutrition Screening Tool (MUST). Will demonstrate understanding of the theoretical knowledge used to develop the assessment tool. The assignment will focus on three components within the tool; discussing their reliability and validity when used in a clinical setting. A reflection on my experience using the tool will be included, linked to the reliability aspects. We will identify any reliability issues and provide suggestions on how to correct them to facilitate future use. MUST is a five-step screening tool designed for healthcare providers to identify at-risk or malnourished adult patients. Includes guidelines on how to develop an effective treatment plan. The Malnutrition Advisory Group (MAG) adapted and extended its community screening tool to include nursing homes and hospitals in 2000, in response to national concerns. (Department of Health, 2001). In 2003 MUST was designed by MAG and the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). It has been trialled in many care settings, to address patients who may be at risk of malnutrition. I chose this tool because it is widely used in the healthcare industry; however, malnutrition is often unrecognized and poorly managed. According to BAPEN around three million people in the UK are at risk of or are malnourished. Malnutrition can affect a patient physically, mentally and can even increase recovery time (Zellipour and Stratton, 2005). This assignment will help me understand the theory and rationale behind the development of MUST. The first component of the MUST involves measuring the patient's height and weight to establish their body mass index (BMI). Body mass index is the ratio b... center of the sheet... no length of the ulna, as well as the type of measuring device used to weigh the patient, such as a chair or lift. This would allow the assessment to be performed using the same measurement and equipment each time, which would make the test correct and more reliable (Division of Medical Education, 2007). This assignment discussed the theory and development of a trust-adapted version of DUTY. A rationale of my choice was included and linked to specific learning objectives. A discussion regarding the three components of this tool was included; these have been linked to validity and reliability. Finally, a reflection was included on my experiences in using the MUST in the medical care of the elderly ward regarding reliability aspects and theories on how these can be overcome to favor the age of future use in a clinical context.