Gastronomía clínica. Excelente alternativa para mejorar la nutrición hospitalaria

Abstract

Malnutrition in hospitals is an endemic problem that increases morbidity, mortality and hospital stay. There are many factors involved in its development, such as patient starvation, even before admission, the type of procedure performed, and the poor quality and presentation of the meals received, which in turn might be caused by errors in prescription, transcription, preparation, and distribution by the physician, nutritionist, or cook.   Consequently, intake decreases, and more than 40% of the food is wasted, which only leads to patient deterioration and increased dissatisfaction with the hospital catering service. Therefore, it is essential to position clinical gastronomy within the health teams so that together with the nutritionist, they develop new menus and strategies, such as à la carte menu or room service, ensure the quality and presentation of the dishes, record food consumption, user satisfaction, and waste characteristics to develop a continuous improvement program for the benefit of patients.