Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction With Hospital Foodservice During Treatment at a General Hospital in Mainland Greece

Background

Adequate hospital foodservice is important to improve patient's nutritional status. Research aimed to evaluate patients' satisfaction with hospital foodservice during their treatment at a general hospital in Greece using a validated instrument, adding to the existing research.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of patients aged > 18 years who were hospitalized for at least 2 days in the selected hospital between March and April 2022. The hospital applies a conventional cooking preparation system, a central distribution system, and a quality management system. Data were collected using a Greek-translated version of the “Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire”, and analysed using descriptive measures, parametric and non-parametric tests.

Results

In total, 202 questionnaires (response rate 87.7%) were included in the analysis. The majority (90.1%) stated an overall satisfaction of “good” or “very good”. Questions related to “Staff & Service” received the highest scores, while questions related to “Food Quality” and “Meal Size” received the lowest. “Food Quality” was found to have the greatest effect on overall satisfaction. There were differences between wards. Men and younger patients were more likely to report hunger after and between meals.

Conclusions

Hospital foodservice faces the challenge of catering to a range of nutritional needs of different patients. Systematic assessment of patient satisfaction is crucial to improving evidence-based, patient-centered care. Although patients' overall satisfaction with foodservice was high, reflection on the interpretation of results is required as patient satisfaction is a complex measure, and the study was conducted during a pandemic.