MULTI-USER ASSESSMENT OF A HOSPITAL COOK-FREEZE FOODSERVICE SYSTEM

A multi-user assessment approach was applied to the evaluation and comparison of a cook-freeze hospital foodservice system and a conventional cook-serve system. The approach included: (1) patient and staff evaluations of menu items served on the wards and in the hospital cafeteria, (2) patient and staff opinion surveys on various aspects of the foodservice system, (3) structured interviews of foodservice personnel concerning work load, schedules, etc., and (4) written surveys and interviews of nursing staff concerning foodservice operations on the wards. Results of the patient and staff evaluations of menu items showed that the cook-freeze system provided better perceived serving temperatures on the wards than did the conventional cook-serve system, with only slight losses in sensory acceptance. No significant differences were found in the patient and staff general opinion surveys. Interviews with foodservice workers revealed few problems that were directly attributable to the new cook-freeze system, although problems encountered during implementation of the new system exacerbated existing problems of manpower shortages and supervisory control. The nursing staff rated the cook-freeze system as more convenient and attractive, but questioned the quality of the meals served. It was proposed that the latter problem could be corrected by a concerted effort to better inform patients and staff about the cook-freeze system, so as to dispel negative preconceptions. Overall, the data revealed contrasting advantages and disadvantages of the cook-freeze system. It is proposed that the multi-user assessment approach be used more widely in the evaluation of hospital foodservice systems in order to ensure that systems adequately meet user criteria and established objective criteria.