The Patient Centered Approach to Improving Food Service Delivery Research Study

1. The Patient Centered Approach to Improving Food Service Delivery Research Study R. Davis B.S, Y. Grinberg, MS, RD, CDN Aramak Distance Learning Dietetic Internship Program, Philadelphia PA ABSTRACT CONCLUSION METHODOLOGY • Outcomes research study using RUMC hospital medical charting database, to collect patient information. Date was inputted into Excel measuring descriptive and bivariate statistics. • Inclusion Criteria: • Regular (house) or Diabetic diets • Treatment on the general medical floors (non surgical/vent dependent) and Between the ages of 25-74. • Fluent English Speakers • Minimum hospital stay of three days • No altered mental status • No recent upgrades to regular or diabetic diets, • Eligible participants were approached at bedside and those who agreed to take part in the survey dictated their responses. • An educational in-service was conducted in a temporary classroom, which included a projector and smart board. Only SLB4 guest service representatives were included. • Identical pre and post intervention questionnaires using a Likert scale were utilized to determine if the educational in-service would increase overall patient satisfaction • Participants were recruited from three different floors: one as the intervention and two as baseline comparisons. • SLB6 Baseline floors.SLB5: Baseline floorsSLB4: Intervention floor • Approval from the Director of Food and Nutrition Services was provided for this study. Patient Centered Care has become a top priority in hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide. Food service has been identified as an area of the patient experience that influences patient satisfaction. An Outcome research study was conducted at Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island to identify communication and interaction barriers within foodservice delivery and to make necessary adjustments to better meet the needs of the patient. A pre and post-intervention survey and educational in-service for food service employees on an intervention floor took place from November through March. A total of 80 patients who met the inclusion criteria participated in the surveys. The data was collected using a likert-scale method that was inputted into Excel measuring descriptive and bivariate analysis. Survey categories included: patient food preferences/follow-through, courteousness, knowledge of food service staff, proper introduction upon entering patient rooms, utilization of the spoken menu, and meeting patients overall needs). Results indicated preferences as having the highest percentage increase on the intervention floor (SLB4, 26.81%) followed by slight increases on the other general medical floors (SLB6, SLB5). Additionally, meeting overall patients needs also increased on SLB4 (5.57%) but decreased on the other floors (SLB5 14.79%,SLB6 19.06%). Overall courteousness decreased on all floors. The outcomes research provided important insight on developing tools to quantify patient experience setting the foundation for future research regarding patient expectations with food service. • This outcomes study discovered a trend towards increased patient satisfaction with improved meal delivery fulfillment and more consistent communication by the guest service representatives. • Discrepancies in the data indicate a need for further research, focusing on the training and education of guest service representatives. • An appropriate forward approach may be to conduct the methods executed in this study using a larger sample size and extending the time frame between the educational in-service and when post-intervention data is collected following continuous monitoring. • Nonetheless, this study set an encouraging foundation for taking a more patient-centered approach to hospital food delivery. INTRODUCTION RESULTS • Hospitals nation wide have implemented a model known as Patient Centered Care which aims to match the needs and preferences of patients with the hospitals methods of care.1 • As an emerging trend, patient-centered care is identified as a shift from healthcare focusing on the treatment of patients medical conditions alone. • The primary area that hospitals have identified as significantly influencing patient satisfaction is room care and food service. • Higher quality food service is associated with increased patient satisfaction levels. • Achieving patient satisfaction at RUMC has become a challenge. Adjustments in the food delivery system resulted in increased patient grievances • New food service changes due to budgetary constraints led to misalignment of expectations. Guest service representatives not utilizing the spoken menu & disregard for patient preferences. • The Research will address whether improved communication between Guest service reps and patients can be accomplished after implementation of education in-service. • A study conducted in Saudi Arabia discovered that staff members who take the time to communicate with patients during meal delivery can impact patient satisfaction levels.6 • The Study will focus on gathering patients’ opinions of RUMC food service using two qualitative surveys (one initial and one follow-up survey) • The surveys will be used as benchmarks to assess the results of the trainings with regards to its impact on increasing Patient satisfaction. • Pre and post test demographics of the surveyed patient population can be found in table 1 (right) • Primary Results: • A total of 80 patients were surveyed. Forty patients in the pre-intervention survey and forty patients in the post intervention survey. • Intervention took place in early March only including guest representatives on SLB4. • Intervention survey data was compared to baseline to identify if there were any significant changes, • Of the seven categories measured, patient preferences had the highest percentage increase on the intervention floor, SLB4 (26.81%) • Follow through on preferences had a slight increase on SLB4(2.80%) increasing more significantly on SLB5 and SLB6 (15.97%, 9.18% • Utilization of Spoken Menu increased on SLB4 (7.88%) but declined on SLB5 and SLB6 ( - 10.9%, - 45.58%) • Knowledge and ability to answer food service questions increased increased on SLB4 and SLB5(8.52%, 9.73%) but decreased on SLB6 • Lastly, there was 5.57% increase in meeting patient needs on SLB4 but a reduction on SLB5 and SLB6 (14.79%,19.06%) DISCUSSION • .Results of this study suggest, that an education in-service may help to improve interactions by guest service representatives regarding preferences, self- introductions and accurate meal delivery fulfillment leading to increased patient satisfaction. • .Accommodating food preferences was affected by the study most significantly, consistent with previous findings of reported studies: patient satisfaction primarily linked to acknowledgement and accommodation of patient food preferences. • Limitations: • Represented a Small sample size • Post intervention data was a collected a week after the intervention took place not allocating enough time to see a true impact • Patients relayed their responses to the researcher instead of completing the survey in a private setting. This may have affected responses. • Future Research • . Ask more specific questions with regards to courteousness. • . Use larger sample size • . Extend space between intervention, post intervention data collection with continuous monitoring. CONTACT INFORMATION For additional information, please contact: Rebecca A. Davis Aramark Dietetic Intern rdavis1433@gmail.com RESEARCH QUESTION / OBJECTIVE Does improved meal delivery fulfillment and more consistent communication from the food service representatives increase patient satisfaction?