Measuring the quality of Hospital Food Services: Development and reliability of a Meal Quality Audit Tool

Abstract

MQAT was found to be reliable for Temperature and Accuracy domains, with further work required to improve the reliability of the Appearance and Sensory dimensions. The systematic use of the tool, used in conjunction with patient satisfaction, could provide pertinent and useful information regarding the quality of food services and areas for improvement.

Ward culture and staff relationships at hospital mealtimes in Australia: An ethnographic account

“…Strategies that support interprofessional collaboration among health‐care staff have the potential to improve processes and outcomes (Zwarenstein et al, ), and can include activities such as interdisciplinary team meetings, case conferences, and joint consultations. In relation to nutrition care, interprofessional strategies known to improve quality and safety include parenteral nutrition ward rounds (Hvas et al, ) involving doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians, and meal audits (Banks et al, ) conducted by dietitians, speech pathologists, and foodservice staff.…”

Understanding Patients’ Meal Experiences through Staff’s Role: Study on Malaysian Public Hospitals

“…The aim of foodservices is to provide patients with exemplary nutritious meals necessary for their recovery and health and tailored to their specific health conditions. 11,14 Quality of service, particularly foodservice, is a concern, 11,15 primarily because nutritional status often deteriorates during hospitalization, especially among those who are malnourished on admission. [16][17][18] Patients are often malnourished because they do not eat well.…”

“…Some reasons relate to the dietitian and the failure of hospital policies to provide adequate resources for staff training and a suitable eating environment. 11,[19][20][21] Many causes relate to the role of staff in delivering the service.…”

Foodservice management returns: The need to rejuvenate the superhero contribution of dietetics

“…In recent years, original research has been undertaken in menu design and foodservice delivery, aiming to improve food choice, food intake, quality of life, manage malnutrition and reduce waste . Substantial evidence in foodservice satisfaction measurement in both the hospital and residential aged care sectors has been developed by Australian dietitians and applied consistently in international contexts, whilst in this issue we publish a meal quality audit tool . Walton also argues that further evidence regarding cost‐benefit and cost‐effectiveness is essential to foodservice dietetics and that significant prospects exist for dietitians to extend career opportunities within foodservice departments of hospitals .…”

“…[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Substantial evidence in foodservice satisfaction measurement in both the hospital and residential aged care sectors has been developed by Australian dietitians and applied consistently in international contexts, [25][26][27][28][29] whilst in this issue we publish a meal quality audit tool. 30 Walton also argues that further evidence regarding cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness is essential to foodservice dietetics and that significant prospects exist for dietitians to extend career opportunities within foodservice departments of hospitals. 16 Acute care hospital research dominates the published foodservice literature, whilst gaps in the evidence, particularly in some clinical cohorts 31 , remain.…”