Patient Mealtime Experience: Capturing Patient Perceptions Using a Novel Patient Mealtime Experience Tool

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Experience Research
• Foodservice Management

Background:

• Patient mealtime experience significantly impacts oral intake and overall perception of hospital services.
• Existing questionnaires often lack comprehensive qualitative data on the broader mealtime experience.
• The Austin Health Patient Mealtime Experience Tool (AHPMET) was developed to address these gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the patient mealtime experience using the qualitative components of the AHPMET.
• To complement existing quantitative findings of the AHPMET.
• To validate a tool for assessing and improving patient mealtime experiences in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A multiphase, cross-sectional study conducted across Austin Health sites (March 2020 - November 2021).
• Utilized the AHPMET to measure patient mealtime experience.
• Employed descriptive statistics and deductive thematic analysis for qualitative data.

Main Results:

• 149 participants completed the questionnaire.
• Patients reported highest satisfaction with staff interactions.
• Lowest satisfaction was with food quality (flavor, presentation, menu variety).
• Barriers to consumption included clinical symptoms, nutrition impact symptoms, and patient positioning.

Conclusions:

• Food quality is a primary driver of dissatisfaction in hospital foodservice.
• Prioritizing food quality improvements is essential for enhancing patient satisfaction.
• The validated AHPMET can be implemented across health services to improve mealtime intake, mitigate malnutrition, and enhance patient outcomes.