Hospital Foodservice Research Articles

Food Security Challenges for Hospital Sustainability

Background: Food security and safety are becoming major concerns worldwide. Providing food security and safety in hospitals is particularly challenging since their populations are diverse in dietary and nutritional requirements and more vulnerable to foodborne illnesses. The aim of this research is to promote hospital sustainability by addressing food security and food safety. Method: This study uses a quantitative method with a bibliometric study approach. This research has 212 articles from the Scopus database. All the documents were collected simultaneously in August 2022. The selected article encompassed the years from 2017 to 2021, including document type, publication stage, source type, language, and subject area. The data was analyzed using VOSviewer and NVivo analytical tools. Results: The results of the studies on food security and safety increased from 2017-2022 with current trends in hospital sustainability, food waste, and waste management in food. Our study has identified four clusters: hospital food services, hospital sustainability, nutrition, and food safety. Food security is positively correlated with assessment, challenges, measurement, status, and sustainability (Pearson correlation score is 1). Disease control, proper waste management, and environmental health are all associated with food safety (Pearson correlation score ±0.79-0.64). Conclusion: Food safety and security are critical to achieve hospital sustainability, therefore awareness-raising efforts must continue. It is recommended that hospital stakeholders, food service providers; public and private sectors adopt policies and guidelines to disseminate information on food safety and security concerning hospital sustainability.

Patient Satisfaction With Meal Service With Leftovers At Grandmed Hospital Lubuk Pakam

Food service is an important issue in the hospital environment, and patient satisfaction levels are often indicated by food consumption and waste. The current study compared patient satisfaction in hospital areas and other factors and determined the relationship between patient satisfaction and food waste. This quantitative study was conducted in RS. GrendMed Lubuk Pakam. Patients in these hospitals were asked to fill out a questionnaire consisting of three parts: general information, patient satisfaction questionnaire (Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire for Acute Care Hospital Food Service). A total of 74 patients participated. The results showed that overall, 18.9% (finished and satisfied), 39.2% (not finished and satisfied), and 41.9% (Not satisfied and not finished). Satisfaction with hospital food varies according to the service of each patient with health conditions. However, the results also showed that satisfaction with hospital food service was significantly associated with food waste (p value = 0.000). Various factors in hospital food service, especially food quality, should be improved to motivate patients to consume hospital food..

Patient expectations and understanding of hospital food service provision when declaring a food allergy.

Food allergies are increasingly common and so hospitals must promptly identify and manage these to maintain patient safety. The present study explored patient understanding and expectations of food allergy management in hospital food services. This exploratory descriptive study used mixed methods, including semi-structured interviews and surveys with hospital inpatients declaring food allergies, aiming to explore understanding, expectations and preferences for food allergy management in the hospital setting. Twenty-four participants were interviewed, reporting between one and six food allergies across 25 different allergens. Three main themes were identified: "Shared responsibility for declaring and managing allergens in hospital", "Varied understanding and trust in hospital food service processes" and "Satisfactory hospital food service experience". In the latter, participants identified 13 key factors valued for hospital food, including appearance, food quality and flavour. Remarkably, being "free from" the food allergen was not amongst the most common factors. Generally, participants felt that declaring a food allergy had not negatively impacted their hospital admission, and overall satisfaction with food services did not differ between the food allergic study participants and the general hospital population. Overall, the declaration of a food allergy did not negatively impact on hospital experience. However, further investigations are required to identify the most valued factors for hospital meals, aiming to enable a more targeted approach to better meet patient expectations.

Therapeutic diet plate waste and satisfaction among adult patients

Introduction: There are limited studies on plate waste and satisfaction levels among adult patients receiving therapeutic diets in hospitals, particularly in the local context. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the percentage of plate waste and the level of satisfaction among adult patients receiving therapeutic diets, as well as the contributing factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a university hospital during lunch and dinner hours on eleven types of therapeutic diets. Food weighing and photography-assisted visual estimation by the Comstock scale were used to measure plate waste. Interviews were conducted with patients using the Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (ACHFPSQ) to collect information about their satisfaction towards food quality and service. Results: Mean overall plate waste rate for 96 patients receiving therapeutic diets was 43.6% (40.0% for lunch, 47.3% for dinner), with the highest rate of wastage in a combined diet low in fat and salt. Overall score for patient satisfaction was 3.7 out of 5. Patients had higher satisfaction levels with staff and food service (4.0) compared to food quality (3.4). Food quality negatively contributed to the rate of plate waste in terms of taste (r=-0.107, p=0.035), presentation (r=-0.078, p=0.043), and texture (r=-0.052, p=0.020). Conclusion: Therapeutic diet plate waste among adult patients in this study was high and primarily attributable to food quality. Efforts to minimise therapeutic diet plate waste should be made by improving food quality for the best possible outcomes for patients.

Evaluating Patient Experience with Food in a Hospital-Wide Survey.

Purpose: Patient dissatisfaction with hospital food is an important driver of poor food intake in hospitals. The objective of this study was to examine patient satisfaction with current menu offerings and explore patient preferences and values, in order to inform a patient-centred menu redesign.Methods: Between July and September 2021, a cross-sectional survey was distributed to inpatients receiving a lunch tray at Vancouver General Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Vancouver, Canada. The survey was based on the Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, with additional questions on food experience, factors impacting preferences for hospital meals, interest in plant-rich diets, and demographics.Results: The response rate was 5.5%, with 271 patients completing at least part of the survey. On a 5-point Likert scale, (5 - highest score; 1 - lowest score) satisfaction with food quality (mean = 3.09, p < 0.001) and the overall experience (mean = 3.54, p < 0.001) was lower than industry benchmark of 4, and qualitative feedback was generally negative. Open-ended responses indicated patients were interested in expanded cultural diversity in food provision, more fresh produce and better flavours, and were generally open to trying plant-rich foods.Conclusions: A number of opportunities for improvement were identified in this survey, which will inform an upcoming menu redesign in this institution.

Conventional and digital technologies for measuring and monitoring food waste in the healthcare foodservice

ABSTRACT Monitoring and measurement are crucial activities in managing and reducing the impact of food waste. In Europe, the average food waste per person was estimated at 131 kg, with approximately 10% originating from restaurants and foodservice. Unfortunately, there is a lack of detailed information regarding food waste in hospital settings. Despite this, effective hospital food management plays a significant role in the environmental, social, and economic well-being of patients, and is closely linked to their nutrition and recovery prospects. This research examines key studies on hospital food waste management, focusing on practical implications and identifying strategies for improving sustainability in hospital foodservice through artificial intelligence technologies. It explores emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges in measuring and monitoring food waste while considering patient satisfaction and nutrition as critical factors for sustainable healthcare systems, through a semi-integrative literature review. Precisely, the amount of food waste per patient per day varies depending on the meal, with breakfast waste at about 0.08 kg, lunch waste ranging from 0.15 to 0.47 kg, and dinner waste between 0.11 and 0.48 kg, with the highest values recorded for lunch. Furthermore, considering the imperative to improve data precision, this study introduces current solutions that integrate artificial intelligence, 3D scanners, and digital scales to classify food categories, measure waste quantities, and assess the corresponding economic and environmental impacts. This research is intended for both academic and industry professionals in the foodservice sector, providing valuable insights into developing environmentally friendly strategies and achieving sustainability goals.

Quantifying the locality of the food supply in a large healthcare organisation.

Shocks to the food system (such as extreme weather events, wars, and pandemics) are felt by institutional food systems. For hospitals, these shocks affect the quantity, quality, and variety of foods that can be offered to patients. One strategy to buffer the hospital food supply from external threats is to prioritise ingredients produced locally. Thus, the aim of the current research is to describe the country of origin of all foods purchased by a large, metropolitan healthcare organisation and to identify opportunities for improving the locality of the food supply. This study was of a cross-sectional, observational design. The country of origin for all foods procured over a 1-year period by a large, urban healthcare organisation was determined by proportion of food budget spend. State of origin was identified for fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. The organisation was in Queensland, Australia and utilised a cook-fresh, room-service foodservice model. Descriptive analysis was used to to determine the number of items and the proportion of budget spend on all foods produced in Australia, and by food category. Similar descriptive statistics were generated to determine the proportion of the budget spend on fresh fruits, vegetables and meats produced in Queensland. Over the 1-year period, 659 individual food items were purchased by the hospital foodservice, and 502 food items were included in the anlaysis. In total, 53% of the food budget was spent on Australian foods (100% Australian ingredients) and almost all fruit (73%) and vegetables (91%) were Australian grown. Procuring fresh fruit (28%), vegetables (35%), and meat (46%) from within the state was less common, and this may reflect the primary states of production across Australia, and seasonal variability of the food supply. Findings offer priority areas for improving the locality of the food supply. Future research to determine if procuring more foods locally has benefits to consistency of the food supply is warranted.

Personalization in mitigating food waste and costs in hospitalization

Organization of food services within hospitals has been identified as a determinant of hospitalized patients' nutritional intake and associated food waste. Whereas hospital food service systems in the Netherlands traditionally consist of 3 fixed mealtimes each day, we recently implemented a new 3-channel concept that provides patients the opportunity to order extra meals or snacks in-between their 3 main mealtimes or even have dinner with their visitors in a bistro located on their ward. This study investigates the impact of transitioning from a traditional paper-based to a patient-centered, digital hospital food service system on food waste production patterns and its associated financial implications. Plate waste (served but uneaten food) measurements were performed at baseline for all served meals during a one-week period within the traditional system and follow-up measurements were conducted annually after implementation of the new system during 3 consecutive years. Measurements were conducted at two hospital floors, each comprising four wards. Average grams of plate waste per served meal, daily meal frequency per patient and the associated production and disposal costs of the collected waste were calculated and compared between the two systems. A total of 4361 meals served within the traditional system were compared with 7815 meals served within the new digital system. Meal frequency increased from an average of 2.5 meals per patient per day in the old system to an average varying between 3 and 3.3 meals per patient per day in the consecutive years. Within the traditional system, average plate waste was 81grams per served meal, whilst it ranged between 33 and 49grams per served meal during the following years, with the 3-channel concept in place (p<0.001, p=0.010). Dinner demonstrated the largest reduction in plate waste at all measurement points. Following this reduction of plate waste, estimated associated costs of plate waste production and disposal decreased in a similar pattern. Transitioning from a traditional, paper based to a patient-centered and digital hospital catering system results in significantly higher daily meal frequency and less food waste per served meal.

A qualitative exploration of barriers, facilitators and best practices for implementing environmental sustainability standards and reducing food waste in veterans affairs hospitals.

To improve the healthfulness of foods offered while accelerating the use of environmental sustainability practices, it is important to engage hospital food service operators in the adoption of such practices. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers, facilitators and best practices for implementing environmental sustainability standards in food service among veterans affairs (VA) hospitals in the United States. We conducted an online survey with 14 VA hospital food service directors and then 11 qualitative interviews. The survey assessed motivations for initiating sustainability standards and included a self-rating of implementation for each of five standards: increasing plant-forward dishes, procuring and serving sustainable foods that meet organic/fair trade and other certifications, procuring and serving locally produced foods, reducing food waste and reducing energy consumption. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Qualitative analysis, including coding of themes and subthemes, was conducted by two coders to determine barriers, facilitators and best practices for each of these five standards. Quantitative methods (counts and frequencies) were used to analyse the survey data. Participants had an average of 5 years of experience implementing sustainability standards. The top three motivators cited were reducing food waste, serving healthier foods and increasing efficiency or cost savings. Barriers revolved around patient preferences, contractual difficulties and costs related to reducing waste. Facilitators included taste testing new recipes that include more sustainable food options and easy access to sustainable products from the prime vendor. Best practices included making familiar dishes plant-forward and plate waste studies to prevent overproduction. Although there were many barriers to implementation, food service directors had solutions for overcoming challenges and implementing food service sustainability standards, which can be tested in future sustainability initiatives.

The association between patient-reported experiences with hospital food services and recovery outcomes – A population survey of patients from 75 public hospitals

BackgroundThe quality of food service is vital to patients’ experiences in care and recovery in hospitals. This study aimed to identify opportunities for improving hospital food services to enhance overall patient experiences and outcomes. MethodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study uses the Adult Admitted Patient Survey in 2019. Adult patients discharged from acute or rehabilitation care from 75 public hospitals were surveyed about their in-hospital experiences, including ratings of hospital food services, overall ratings of hospital care, complications acquired, and delayed discharge due to feeling unwell. Population weighting was applied in descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses. We used adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate the association between hospital food service and the overall rating of hospital care and two recovery outcomes. ResultsEight in ten participants (weighted, 16,919/21,900) consumed food in a hospital [mean age: 60.6 years (SE:0.5; SD: 18.3), 53% female]. Compared to a fair rating, adults who rated “poor/very poor” of hospital food service were 2.7 times more likely to report dissatisfaction with overall care in the hospital [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) (95% CI): 2.73 (1.49, 4.99)], 1.4 times more likely to report complications [AOR:1.43 (1.11, 1.83)] and 1.9 times more likely to report delayed discharge [AOR 1.85 (1.30, 2.62)]. More moderate ratings were associated with attenuation of risk for these outcomes. Furthermore, the magnitude of the effect for these associations was more substantial among patients from non-English-speaking backgrounds (n=1,759) after controlling for patient characteristics. Foodservice attributes, including received food as ordered, food delivered within reach, the taste of the meals, and meal interruption, were significant factors for the outcomes assessed. ConclusionThese findings underscore the importance of patients’ positive experiences of hospital food service in recovery outcomes and identify several food service indicators that can be used to monitor and improve patient experiences and recovery outcomes in hospitals.

EVALUATION OF SATISFACTION WITH HOSPITAL MEALS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND HOSPITAL ANXIETY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

This study was planned and conducted to examine the relationship between satisfaction with hospital meals, nutritional status and hospital anxiety in individuals with cardiovascular diseases. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with patients receiving treatment in the cardiology clinic between October 2021 and October 2022. The nutritional status of the patients was evaluated with the Nutrition Risk Screening-2002, their satisfaction with hospital meals with the Hospital Food Services Patient Satisfaction Scale, and their anxiety and depression status with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. In addition, 24-hour food consumption records and anthropometric measurements were taken. The study was completed with a total of 152 participants, 85 males and 67 females. The mean score of the satisfaction with hospital food services scale was 81.50 ± 15.02, 17.8% (n=27) of the participants had anxiety and 32.9% (n=50) had depression. Patients at risk of malnutrition were less satisfied with hospital food services and had higher levels of anxiety (p

Green hospitals: Mitigating water footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable menu planning in Turkish state university hospitals.

Considering the importance of sustainable nutrition, it is important that hospitals' meal menus are planned to ensure the lowest possible environmental footprint. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the environmental effects of hospital menus and the changes that may occur when these menus are planned according to the Turkey Dietary Guidelines and Mediterranean diet recommendations. In this context, first, the yearly environmental footprints of the standard meal menus of the state university hospitals in Turkey (n = 42), including water footprint (WF) and greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) values, were determined. Second, changes in the environmental footprint as a result of arranging the standard meal menus of state university hospitals according to the Turkey Dietary Guidelines and Mediterranean nutritional models were evaluated. It was determined that the average WF and GHGE values of hospital menus were 137,280 ± 18537.2 L/month and 140.0 ± 18.4 kg CO2-eq/month, respectively. Adjusting state university hospitals' standard meal menus according to Turkey Dietary Guidelines and Mediterranean nutritional models reduced WF by 24.8% to 103206.7 L/month and 37.8% to 85420.5 L/month, and GHGEs by 31.7% to 95.5 kg CO2-eq/month and 49% to 71.3 kg CO2-eq/month, respectively. In addition, it was determined that hospital meal menus planned according to the Turkey Dietary Guidelines and the Mediterranean nutritional model contained lower saturated fat and cholesterol and higher dietary fiber. In conclusion, planning hospital menus according to the Turkey Dietary Guidelines and Mediterranean nutritional recommendations can reduce the environmental footprint of hospital food services.

Epidemiology of work-related injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and dermatitis among hospital food service workers in a tertiary hospital in Asia.

Despite the relative importance, the prevalence of workplace safety and health issues in hospital food service workers is not well studied. This study describes the epidemiology of work-related injuries and occupational diseases among hospital food service workers (FSWs) in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Using a total population sampling approach, a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all FSWs employed at a major tertiary hospital in Singapore. The response rate was 98.4% (n = 125). The overall prevalence of workplace injuries and musculoskeletal symptoms was 35% (n = 43) and 53% (n = 65) respectively. The most common workplace injuries were cuts/lacerations (35.8%), muscle strain (25.4%) and burns (19.4%). The prevalence of workplace injuries among staff performing food preparation duties was higher at 56.3% as compared to 21.6% among staff with no food preparation duties (p < 0.01). The prevalence of workplace injuries among staff performing cooking duties was also higher at 47.5%, compared to 29.3% among staff with no cooking duties (p = 0.05). Staff performing food preparation duties had a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms at 66.7% as compared to 44.6% among staff with no food preparation duties (p = 0.02). Obese staff had a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms at 78.9%, compared to overweight staff at 53.8% and staff with normal weight at 43.1% (p = 0.03). FSWs with jobs involving cooking and preparation of food, and those with obesity, are at higher risk of sustaining workplace injuries or musculoskeletal symptoms. Targeted interventions should be implemented for injury prevention and to mitigate these risks.

Feasibility of a Hospital-Based Kitchen Garden.

To explore the chef's experience with a newly implemented indoor hospital-based kitchen garden designed to supplement herbs ordered for patient meals and improve staff engagement. Hospital-based therapeutic and kitchen gardens have emerged as effective health-promoting tools in hospital healthcare environments. They promote emotional, mental, and physical well-being for patients, visitors, and staff. However, formal evaluations are limited, and studies focusing on indoor hospital kitchen gardens are noticeably absent in the literature. Qualitative evaluation of a hospital-based kitchen garden. Open-ended interviews were conducted approximately 6 months after garden implementation and explored key informants (n = 6) overall experience, engagement with the garden, perceived benefits, and opportunities for improvement. Interview data was analyzed using a thematic approach. The implementation of the kitchen gardens was met with overall acceptance among staff. However, the project's feasibility faced challenges related to local food service leadership, communication, and certain aspects of the garden setup. Despite these obstacles, the gardens contributed positively to the quality of meals by including fresh herbs and fostering greater staff engagement. The chefs viewed the concept of the hospital-based kitchen garden favorably, noting that it closely aligned with their mission of providing nutritious meals to patients. However, consideration of the broader issues facing hospital food services may be required to seamlessly integrate this task into the kitchen staff's daily routine. Further research is warranted to investigate the effective implementation and feasibility of indoor kitchen gardens in hospitals and their impact on patient menus, food service staff, and the workforce.

Challenges to Compliance and Adherence to Personal Hygiene and Food Safety Among Foodservice Workers in Hospitals of Mogalakwena Municipality, Limpopo Province

Background: Foodborne illnesses could result from food handlers acquiring bacteria that make them dangerous for humans to consume. Non-adherence to personal hygiene and food safety can impact how well patients' conditions are managed and aggravate illnesses during hospital stay. Therefore, this study seeks to explore factors that may impact adherence to personal hygiene and food safety among hospital food service workers. Methods: Qualitative exploratory study design was used to extract data from food handlers at Mokopane and Voortrekker hospitals in Mogalakwena municipality of Limpopo province, South Africa. Twenty-one participants were purposively sampled, and face-to-face interviews were conducted using voice recorders and field notes for non-verbal cues. Tesch’s eight steps, inductive, descriptive, and open coding techniques were used to analyse data. Results: Factors reportedly affecting personal hygiene and food safety include knowledge of the importance of adherence to personal hygiene and food safety, personal preferences and attitude towards personal hygiene, and lack of uniform and inspection. Non-adherence is affected by cultural norms regarding the wearing of wedding rings and bracelets on the wrist. Conclusion: This study recommends regular internal and external food safety compliance and monitoring. The leadership of the hospital's food service department should be strengthened, and food handlers should get regular in-service training.

The Psychosocial, Organizational, and Environmental Stressors Experienced by Food Service Workers in a Hospital Setting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To identify stressors faced by hospital food service workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic and effective interventions mitigating these stressors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we conducted surveys ( n = 305) and interviews ( n = 9) in the summer and fall of 2022 with employees in hospital settings to determine the psychosocial, organizational, and environmental stressors they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and interventions that improved health and well-being. Findings: The main stressors reported were fear of infection, increased work demands and schedule unpredictability, and financial insecurity. Employee well-being was bolstered by regular, clear, bidirectional communication; a sense of community and purpose; benefits like paid sick leave and health insurance coverage; and organizational policies that included masking and vaccine requirements demonstrating commitment to protecting worker health. Conclusion: Organizations can play a critical role in guarding the health, well-being, and resilience of frontline workers.

Increasing the proportion of plant to animal protein in hospital patient menus: what do stakeholders think?

Replacing dietary animal protein with plant protein has a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions(1) and preventing death from chronic disease(2). Despite being ideally situated to re-design menus, foodservices in hospitals have not focused on changing protein sources(3). Implementation in hospitals requires cooperation from stakeholders across the foodservice system e.g., managers, dietitians, menu planners, purchasers, cooks. A qualitative descriptive study design using semi-structured interviews explored perspectives of hospital foodservice stakeholders on increasing the proportion of plant to animal protein in hospital patient menus and outlined actions required to do this. Interviews were based on participatory backcasting with a “desirable future” defined as hospital patient menus containing, on average, more plant-based protein foods (PBPF) (i.e., legumes, nuts, plant-based meat alternatives) than animal-based protein foods (ABPF) (i.e., beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy) by the year 2050. Analysis was completed using a general inductive approach. Thirty-five stakeholders participated (foodservice dietitians n = 10; foodservice managers, n = 6; dietetic professional leads n = 4; chef/cooks n = 4; information technology n = 4; manager [contracts] n = 4; manager [other] n = 3). Most (n = 25) supported patient menu changes to increase the proportion of plant to animal protein foods, though all described barriers. Common concerns were that patients wouldn’t eat the meals (n = 32), that menu re-design would have a negative impact on protein intake and malnutrition rates (n = 30), and that cost of PBPF was too high making the change unfeasible (n = 25). Benefits were an improvement in the nutrition profile of the menu and subsequent improvement to health (n = 16), lower cost of legumes compared to meat (n = 10), improvements in greenhouse gas emissions (n = 10) and opportunity to use the menu as an education tool (n = 8). We developed a model describing the required actions which began with a trigger for change followed by a cyclical design process, preparation, implementation and monitoring. The cyclical design process included stakeholder consultation, setting a target, choosing a strategy, developing a menu and recipes, finding product, planning the system and operation, and checking it worked. Participants valued gradual changes and maintaining choice during the change process. When prompted about specific strategies, stakeholders were most supportive of replacing ABPF with PBPFs in familiar recipes or replacing entire menu items (n = 21), adding PBPF options (n = 25), and moving PBPFs before ABPF-based items on the menu (n = 22). Hospital foodservices and policy makers wishing to increase the proportion of plant to animal protein in hospital patient menus can use the process and actions identified to plan pathways and communicate these to stakeholders. Future research should explore strategies for increasing the proportion of plant to animal protein while maintaining some ABPF on hospital menus, and evaluating effects of changes uptake, cost, estimated greenhouse gas emissions, satisfaction, dietary intake and health outcomes.

Celebrating Australian native foods through hospital foodservices: Engaging patients, staff and the broader community

Objective: The modern Australian diet is largely characterised by too few fruits and vegetables and too many discretionary foods. This is very different to how Indigenous Australians ate prior to colonisation. Native plants and seeds like bush tomatoes, warrigal greens, Kakadu plum and wattleseed are not common features of the contemporary Australian diet. We developed an initiative to incorporate native plants and seeds into a hospital inpatient menu to normalise their use and provide nutrition education to patients, staff and the community of the nutrition and sustainability benefits of native ingredients. Design: Between May and August 2022, the Chef’s Special menu (for privately funded patients) featured Australian native ingredients in all dishes. The nutritional benefits of native foods were communicated to patients through a printed brochure delivered with the menu, to foodservices staff through in-service training, and to the broader community through social media. Setting: Urban hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Method: Data were collected on acceptability, engagement and reach of the education initiative. Results: The initiative was successfully delivered, with more than 8,000 patient brochures distributed, 45 staff attending training, and social media reaching approximately 10,000 people. The most frequently ordered main meal on the menu was grilled snapper (fish) with macadamia Asian herb salad and finger lime. Conclusion: The work highlighted how the patient menu in hospital can serve as a useful tool to communicate nutrition education to patients, staff and the broader community. In addition, we reflect on the many opportunities to continue to celebrate the nutritional benefits of Australian native foods in healthcare settings.

Perception of Hospital Food Service Workers Regarding Patient Safety Culture and Patient Identification Practice

Implementing the 'Patient Identification' procedure during food distribution will ensure the right diet is served to the right patient. This study explored the perception of patient safety culture and its association with patient identification practices among hospital food service workers. We conducted a mixed method research in a Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited hospital in Yogyakarta. Food service workers who received patient safety training and were responsible for distributing food in adult inpatient wards (n=76) participated in this study. Perception of patient safety culture was measured using a validated questionnaire and in-depth interview, whereas patient identification practice was observed directly using a checklist. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed. More than half (55.3%) of the subjects perceived overall patient safety culture well. However, 34.2% of the subjects performed substandard practice verifying the patient's identity (name, address, or medical record number) when delivering food. There was an insignificant association between the perception of patient safety and patient identification practice by food service workers (p0.05), as some considered that patient identification was more appropriate to be performed by other health professions instead of food service workers. Nevertheless, nearly all (98,68%) food service workers perceived their duty to match the patient's name with the label on the food tray as important.

Hospital Food Services Satisfaction Survey among Healthcare Professionals in a Tunisian University Hospital

Background: Periodic monitoring of food quality can help determine the staff’s satisfaction at any institution, such as the hospital. However, the lack of published studies on the evaluation of staff’s satisfaction with hospital food prompted us to conduct the first survey on this topic in Tunisia. The aim was to determine the prevalence of food satisfaction among health professionals and identify factors affecting the satisfaction level. Methods: It was an analytic cross-sectional study conducted among all staff members of Farhat Hached University Hospital in Sousse in November 2020. Data collection took place over a period of 10 days with one service being surveyed per day. Free and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Categorical variables were described in percentages and compared using the Chisquare test. Univariate analyses were performed to examine associations between the level of satisfaction and various factors. Binary logistic regression was used to eliminate confounding factors. Results: A total of 240 professionals participated in the survey. The majority were female (72.5%) with an M/F sex ratio of 0.38, under 40 years old (94.6%), medical doctors (78.8%), and having less than 5 years of professional experience (73.3%). The overall satisfaction rate was 33.3%. The majority of healthcare professionals were not satisfied with the quality of food (75.8%) and with the personal hygiene of staff who presented the food (78.4%). Factors associated with hospital food satisfaction were the taste and variety of food, cleanliness, quality of dishes, and consuming the entire meal. Conclusion: It is the first study to report the meal experience as perceived by hospital staff in Tunisia. The overall satisfaction rate has been found to be 33.3%, which remains low. Efforts should be made to improve the presentation of all meals. Periodic monitoring of food quality can help determine if recommendations and staff expectations are being met.