Investigating the patient food experience: Understanding hospital staffs' perspectives on what leads to quality food provision in Ontario hospitals

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Food quality influences patient food satisfaction, which may subsequently affect food intake and recovery, influencing hospital costs. The present qualitative study aimed to gain an understanding of hospital staff/volunteers experiences of serving food in Ontario hospitals, perceptions of food quality and challenges to quality food provision. METHODS: Sixteen Ontario hospitals participated. Semi-structured interviews (n = 64 participants) and focus groups (n = 24; 150 participants) were conducted. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (1) Providing Good Quality Food (e.g., attributes that comprise the construct of meal quality, patients' expectations and desires from meals); (2) Individualising the Food and Mealtime Experience (e.g., processes to identify and cater to patients' needs and preferences); (3) Acknowledging Organisational Constraints (e.g., staffing, budget, etc.); and (4) Innovating Beyond Constraints (e.g., identifying innovation within potential modifiable and unmodifiable organisational constraints). CONCLUSIONS: Serving meals in hospital is complex because of organisational and patient factors; however, current efforts to serve quality food despite these complexities were uncovered in our investigation. Discussions highlighted current practices that promote food quality and strategies for improvement. Improving food quality and the hospital meal experience can support food intake and patient outcomes, as well as reduce waste and hospital associated costs. The findings can be used to support quality improvement measures aiming to serve high quality food that meets patients' expectations and nutritional needs.