Comparisons of Patients’, Employees’, and Food Service Directors’ Satisfaction With Meal and Service Quality Using Four Types of Meal Distribution Systems

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LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine the impact of four different hospital meal distribution systems on patient satisfaction with food and service quality.Hospital food service departments are developing and implementing programs and services designed to enhance patient meal experiences. In an effort to improve patient satisfaction with meal service, one area being explored is types of meal distribution systems. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in patients’, employees’, and food service directors’ level of satisfaction with food and service quality in hospitals using: (1) Traditional food service distribution, (2) Traditional nursing service distribution, (3) Non-traditional food service distribution “hostess program”, or (4) Non-traditional nursing service distribution “patient-focus care”. Nineteen hospitals participated in the study. Questionnaires developed by Gregoire (1994) to determine the participant's level of agreement with various food and service quality items being provided in their hospitals was completed by 395 patients and 161 employees who distribute the meal trays. The 19 food service directors completed a questionnaire that was developed to obtain their level of satisfaction with their system. Patients in hospitals where the traditional food service distribution system is used rated me quality of food significantly higher than patients in hospitals where the traditional nursing distribution system is used. Whereas, patients in hospitals using either of the other two systems showed no significant difference in their rating of the food quality. There were no significant differences in patients’ rating of service quality items among the four meal distribution systems. There were no significant differences in employees’ ratings of food and service quality items among the four meal distribution systems. Food service directors utilizing traditional nursing service for meal distribution evaluated their systems significantly lower man food service directors who used other systems for meal distribution. Much energy and time goes into developing and implementing programs to improve patient services. This study suggests mat changing meal distribution systems may not enhance meal experiences as perceived by patients.