Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37375651›Full record

ArticleNutrients2023

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

Kate Furness, Melina Harris, Annie Lassemillante, Stephen Keenan, Natasha Smith, Katherine J Desneves, Sam King

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrients, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Exploring Patient Mealtime Experience in an Acute Care Setting Using the Modified Austin Health Patient Mealtime Experience Tool.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025
    Article
  3. Social Eating Among Child and Adult Hospital Patients: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Kate FurnessDepartment Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4176-3050
Melina HarrisSchool of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.ORCID 0009-0004-7747-8253
Annie LassemillanteDepartment Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6509-7355
Stephen KeenanSchool of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4601-1234
Natasha SmithSchool of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
Katherine J DesnevesAustin Health, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Division of Allied Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9224-3728
Sam KingAustin Health, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Division of Allied Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.ORCID 0009-0005-2285-6568

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe aim of this study is to describe the mealtime experience using the qualitative components of the Austin Health Patient Mealtime Experience Tool (AHPMET) to complement the quantitative findings of this tool.

methodsA multiphase, cross-sectional study was undertaken across all sites of Austin Health (Victoria, Australia) between March 2020 and November 2021. Patient mealtime experience was measured using the AHPMET. Descriptive statistics and a deductive thematic analysis approach described the patients' mealtime experiences.

resultsQuestionnaire data were collected from 149 participants. Patients were most satisfied with staff interactions, and least satisfied with dimensions of food quality, specifically, flavour, presentation, and menu variety. Clinical symptoms, nutrition impact symptoms and the patient's position were barriers to consumption. DISCUSSION: Food quality was perceived as the poorest aspect of patient satisfaction with the hospital foodservice, particularly flavour, presentation, and menu variety. Future foodservice quality improvements must prioritise improving food quality to have the greatest impact on patient satisfaction. While clinical and organisational systems have a role in improving mealtime experience and oral intake, communicating patient perceptions of the mealtime experience is critical for responding to current perceptions of hospital food quality.

conclusionMealtime experience in the hospital has a significant impact on oral intake and patients' wider perception of hospital services. Questionnaires have been used to capture patient satisfaction with foodservice in the hospital; however, no comprehensive questionnaires including qualitative questions that capture the broader mealtime experience have been validated across different hospital settings. The tool developed through this study can be implemented in any acute and subacute health service to provide feedback and improve the mealtime experience of patients. This has the capacity to improve mealtime intake, mitigate malnutrition, and improve quality of life and patient outcomes.

Indexed as

Food Service, HospitalMalnutritionCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMealsPatient SatisfactionQuality of LifeVictoriadieteticsfood serviceshospitalsmalnutritionpatient experiencequalityrehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID37375651
PMCPMC10300684

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.