What do patients value in the hospital meal experience?

A number of previous studies have reported on the aspects of hospital food service that patients value, but usually as a secondary finding, and not generally based upon patient-centred approaches. This study employed a questionnaire produced ab initio from interviews with patients and hospital staff, the data from which were subjected to factor and cluster analysis, in order to identify and prioritise the factors that contribute to the meal experience empirically. The most important factors, food and service were as identified by other authors.

Hungry in hospital, well-fed in prison? A comparative analysis of food service systems.

Meals served in prisons and hospitals are produced in similar ways and have similar characteristics, yet hospital patients are often at risk of being undernourished, while prisoners typically are not. This article examines field notes collected during nutritional studies of prison and hospital food service, which confirmed the difference in nutrient intake claimed by other authors. A comparison of food service processes and systems showed that the production of meals and the quality leaving the kitchen was similar in both types of institution.

A qualitative difference. Patients' views of hospital food service in Iran.

Undernutrition and food acceptability in hospitals form a worldwide problem, but existing studies offer a predominantly Western perspective. This research investigated inpatients' satisfaction with meals in five Iranian hospitals, using focus group discussions, interviews and meal observations. The main problem areas included food quality and quantity, nutritional control, meal arrangements and staff attitudes.

Improving the provision of meals in hospital. The patients' viewpoint.

This study examines the provision of hospital meals from the patients' viewpoint, with the aim of improving hospital food service. Patients were approached in early 2008 in a National Health Service hospital in the South of England and invited to comment on the good and bad aspects of eating in hospital. Comments were collected in an abbreviated "key word" format which incurred the minimum of bias and allowed emergent themes to be analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively.