Exploring patient satisfaction with hospital foodservice: A Swedish study using the Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore patient satisfaction with hospital foodservice in the Swedish setting, using a validated instrument, adding this context to the existing body of research. Methods:The study was carried out at three hospitals employing cyclic menus and conventional cook-serve foodservice systems with centralised tray assemblies and hot-trolley distributions to the wards for service. Patient satisfaction was explored using a translated version of the validated Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. Groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal Wallis test with a set significance level of P < .05. Results: Questionnaires from 439 patients were included in the analysis. The majority (80%) reported an overall satisfaction of "good" or "very good." Questions related to Staff and Service received mostly the highest possible ratings, while questions related to Food Quality and Meal Size had slightly lower ratings and higher variation. Comparisons between groups showed that differences were small even when statistically significant. Low appetite and a long hospital stay had an adverse effect on overall satisfaction and food quality-related questions. Men and younger patients reported more often being hungry after and between meals.Conclusions: Hospital foodservice faces the challenge of catering to multiple patient needs. Monitoring patient satisfaction is crucial to ensure that foodservice operations remain evidence based. The Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire provided a general overview that indicated foodservice areas with potential for improvement, although patient satisfaction overall was high. However, patient satisfaction is a complex measure and reflexivity is required when interpreting empirical results.

Patients’ Evaluation of Causes of Hospital Food Waste in Surgical Wards

“…According to Rapo et al (16) , patients in this Swedish environment had a high level of overall satisfaction with the hospital foodservice. Multiple patient requirements are difficult to meet, and tracking patient satisfaction is essential to maintaining an evidence-based approach in foodservice operations.…”

“…Examples include food that is thrown out by stores due to unfavorable color or flaws and plate trash that customers abandon. Both locally and globally, food loss (and notably the food waste component) is a subject that is receiving more and more attention (16) .…”

“…Rapo et al (16) reported that patients staying longer than a month and those whose self-reported intake was lower than usual, respectively, were more dissatisfied with the foodservice, the food in general, and the taste and flavors of the food. This was in contrast to those staying less than a week and those with unchanged or increased intake (i.e., were less likely to report positively).…”

Adaptación transcultural del cuestionario validado ACHFPSQ acerca de satisfacción con el servicio de alimentación intrahospitalario para su aplicación en Chile

“…La encuesta ACHFPSQ, frecuentemente utilizada a nivel mundial para la evaluación de la satisfacción intrahospitalaria, fue elegida como el instrumento idóneo para esta adaptación [6][7][8][19][20][21][22] . Este cuestionario describe, originalmente, cuatro principales dimensiones o categorías del servicio de alimentación: calidad de la comida, calidad del servicio, problemas con el personal y el ambiente físico, sobre las cuales demostró ser capaz de recoger información precisa y confiable 21 .…”

Hospital Food Service Quality Improvement Questionnaire (Hfsqiq): Development, Translation and Validation of a Questionnaire

“…TQM is a concept rooted in the Japanese management style (15), which assists to improve the quality of services and goods through a collaborative approach and standardised performance. A previous study highlighted that all departments and individuals contribute to TQM in attaining standards on customer service and end-user satisfaction, which brings excellence to business (16). Nevertheless, there is insufficient information in the questionnaire designed for the Malaysian population.…”