Improving patient satisfaction through food preferences for a non-selective hospital menu

1. Improving patient satisfaction through food preferences for a non-selective hospital menu Emily Vautour Dietetic Intern, 2007-2008

2. Outline of the Presentation • Introduction • Procedures and Methods • Results • Discussion • Limitations to the Study • Conclusion • References

3. Introduction • The Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) • 170 bed acute care hospital • Foodservice department of approx. 24 FTE • Non-selective one-week cycle menu

4. Introduction (cont’d) • Providing patients with a means to communicatefoodpreferences to foodservices has been associatedwithincreased patient satisfaction with regards to food and foodservices • Folio et al. 2002; Stein 2000; Oyarzun et al. 2000; Schwartz & Gudzin 2000 • Relationship betweenavailability of a foodpreferenceform and foodwastage - Unpublishedstudyconducted by 2006-2007 dieteticinternat CCH

5. Aim of the study • To evaluate the possibility of improving patient satisfaction through food preferences for a non-selective hospital menu

6. Procedures and Methods • Comparing patient satisfaction survey results from 2 groups: • Group 1 – did not get a chance to communicate food preferences • Group 2 – were offered a chance to communicate food preferences through a Food Preferences Form

7. Data Collection Timeline GROUP 1 GROUP 2

8. Results

9. Patient Satisfaction Survey Results* *Results are presented by the percentage of the total number of respondents for each variable and group

10. Patient Satisfaction Survey Results* (cont’d) *Results are presented by the percentage of the total number of respondents for each variable and group

11. Patient Satisfaction Survey Results* (cont’d) *Results are presented by the percentage of the total number of respondents for each variable and group

12. Summation of High Ratings

13. Discussion • The importance of patient satisfaction • Role in achieving overall facility goals • Influencing patients’ nutritional status • Barriers in achieving patient satisfaction • Negative, stereotypical attitude • Perception of hospital food influenced by illness and medications • Repetitiveness of the non-selective seven-day cycle menu

14. Discussion (cont’d) • Non-selective menu vs. patient-focused foodservice system • Deciding factors for keeping the non-selective menu system for the study • Limited time frame • Cost associated with the transition • Lots of planning • Addition of a Food Preference form was more practical in terms of time and cost

15. Limitations to the Study • Small sample size of Group 2 • Appropriateness of Patient Satisfaction Survey • Some patients from Group 1 seen by RD for food preferences prior to start of study

16. Conclusion • Upward trend observed, however not statistically significant • Existing barriers to achieving patient satisfaction • Other possible benefits of having the Food Preference Form • Faster response to patients’ requests • Less of RD’s time used for dealing with food preferences

17. References Bélanger MC & Dubé L. The emotional experience of hospitalization: Its moderators and its role in patient satisfaction with foodservices. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1996:96:354-360  Cardello AV, Bell R, & Kramer FM. Attitudes of consumers toward military and other institutional foods. Food Quality and Preference. 1996:7(1):7-20  Donini LM, Castellaneta E, De Guglielmi S et al. Improvement in the quality of the catering service of a rehabilitation hospital. Clinical Nutrition. 2008:27(1):105-114.  Folio D, O’Sullivan-Maillet J & Touger-Decker R. The spoken menu concept of patient foodservice delivery systems increases overall patient satisfaction, therapeutic and tray accuracy, and is cost neutral for food and labor. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2002:102(4):546-548.  Huang HC & Shanklin CW. An integrated model to measure service management and physical constraints’ effect on food consumption in assisted-living facilities. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2008:108:785-792.  Lafferty L & Dowling RA. Position of The American Dietetic Association: management of health care food and nutrition services. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1997:97(12):1427-1430. Oyarzun VE, Lafferty LJ, Gregoire, MB et al. Evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness measurements of a foodservice system that included a spoken menu. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2000:100(4):460-463. Petnicki PJ, Jatho GJ & McNamee CK. Benefits of a just-in-time spoken patient menu.Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1998:98(9):(Suppl.1) Pronsky ZM. Food-Medication Interactions, 14th ed. Birchrunville: Food-Medication Interactions, 2006.  Schwartz DB & Gudzin D. Preadmission nutrition screening: Expanding hospital-based nutrition services by implementing earlier nutrition intervention. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2000:100(1):81-87. Smith KR. How to satisfy preferences of rehab residents in a nonselect menu facility. Health Care Food & Nutrition Focus. 2003:20(6):8-9. Sridhar MK & Lean MEJ. Nutritional consequences of disease. Medicine. 2006:34(12):530-532. Stanga Z, Zurflüh Y, Roselli M et al. Hospital Food: a survey of patients’ perceptions. Clinical Nutrition. 2003:23(3):241-246 Stein K. Diet office redesign to enhance satisfaction and reduce costs. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2000:100(5):512.  Williams R, Virtue K, & Adkins A. Room service improves patient foodintake and satisfaction withhospitalfood. Journal of PediatricOncology Nursing. 1998:15(3):183-9.

18. Questions

19. Thank you