Patient Experience and Satisfaction with Hospital Food ServiceH.J. HARTWELL, J.S.A. EDWARDS and C. SYMONDS, The Worshipful Company of Cooks Research Centre, Bournemouth University
Hospital Food ServiceIntroduction
An essential part of patient care and a fundamental factor in aiding recovery
Increasing concern over high prevalence of malnutrition
Hence a growing interest in the role of food to improve clinical outcomes
Hospital Food ServiceIntroduction
However, food not just about service but encompasses the entire patient experience
Aim
The aim of the research is to critically evaluate patient experience and satisfaction with hospital food service.
Objective
To explore antecedents to satisfaction and experience
Hospital food service does not operate in isolation but requires the co-operation and integration of several disciplines to provide the ultimate patient experience:
medical staff, food service staff, dietitians, hospital managers, pharmaceutical staff, patients and
visitors
Methodology
Focus groups
Doctors, nurses, ward hostesses, patients
Interviews
Catering manager, facilities manager, dietitians, chief pharmacist
Management nutritional careResponsibility without authority Nutrition policy frameworkAdvisory serviceFragmented careRecording weight Patient Care PATIENTMonitor patient intake CENTREDFood as treatmentEmpathy PATIENT
CENTREDAggressive consumerComplaintsFood qualityTraditional English food Patient SatisfactionPatient satisfactionBranded foodsFeedback
Protected meal times Meal Time Ambience MEALMusic/crockery TIMEEating in company
Fragmentary serviceOperational tensionHospital food manager Food ServiceCommunication ManagementFinancial constraintsCharge for foodStaff turnover FOOD FOOD SERVICEDedicated food service staffHostess Food Service Customer care/service StaffWelcome pack
NUD*IST
Results - Patient Care
Nutrition policy – clinical champion‘…an advocate (voice) is required at directorate level’ -
dietitian and nurse
Dietitians – advisory service Not ‘joined up’‘…everybody is looking at things from their own
perspective, coming from different directions and the poor patient is in the middle’ – chief dietitian
Ward communication ‘weigh day’
Results - Patient satisfaction ‘hotel’ service‘…the patients want a restaurant service from non-restaurant
funding’ – facilities manager Best meal experience‘…my best hospital meal experience was where the food
was just like at home, hot, and we ate it sitting around a table’
Worst meal experience‘…hard cold cauliflower and watery mince’ Food quality‘…we can put men on the moon but we can’t get hot food in
hospital’ - patient. Branded foods Trolley system of delivery
Results - Meal Time
Protected meal periods‘…we are all falling over each other in the morning – what
with the blood lady, nurses and consultants’ – hostess
Ambience – music Eating a meal in company Crockery
Results - Food Service Management Fragmentary delivery‘…the whole service needs to be better orchestrated’ -
facilities manager Communication Hospital food manager Budgets – ring fenced Patients to pay? Staff recruitment‘…its difficult to get staff on the amount that we can pay
them – they would rather work in Burger-King’ – catering manager
Results - Food Service Staff
Dedicated food service staff‘sell the product’ ‘reduce wastage’ and ‘tempt jaded palates’
Ward hostess
‘…what we need is basic care, the food that we want, it should be hot, it should be well presented and well cooked. If we don’t eat we will be in hospital for longer and all we want to do is go home’ – patient
HospitalFoodService
Patient Monitoring
Simple/rapid (strain gauge) reinforced by multidisciplinary plan of action
Nutrient Intake
Patient Satisfaction
Food QualityTextureTemperatureFood Service SystemTrolleyWard hostessEmpathyWastageDistribution/transportationMinimum delay to prevent nutrient loss and sensory deteriorationMealPlace of consumptionPeace and quietTraditional MenuBrand namesInteractive MenuClarity/languageChoice
Better HospitalFood Service
Incidence of malnutrition reducedShorter patient stayImproved patient experienceReduction in cost to NHS
Feedback and communication
ManagementMedical staffCaterersPatients
HospitalFood
ServiceManager
Primary Health Care team
Primary Health Care team
Hospital Food in ContextNHS and the hospital environment i.e. funding, Better Hospital Food and medical condition. Patient expectation and perception of ‘hospitality product’.
A theoretical model of patient experience and satisfaction with hospital food service
Conclusion
Optimal treatment – good nutrition
Patient satisfactionQuality – texture and
temperature