Director of Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Dietetics and Food Services, Dr Merrilyn Banks, and her team led the development of a digital solution that can use real-time feedback from patients and their families about the quality of hospital meal and how much they have eaten, to revolutionise nutrition care at RBWH.

Hospital meals play a crucial role in patient recovery and wellbeing. By engaging patients in providing feedback, RBWH can ensure their preferences are considered, enhancing satisfaction and potentially reducing hospital stays.

This initiative promotes patient empowerment, fosters a sense of control during hospitalisation, and improves nutritional intake, ultimately supporting better outcomes and preventing complications.

This project has led to tangible improvements in patient care. Shorter hospital stays, facilitated by streamlined feedback and menu adjustments, reduce infection risks and financial burdens. Real-time feedback empowers patients to communicate needs effectively, through live results from the meal survey in a dashboard available to patients. The continuous menu improvement aligns with patient preferences, promoting better nutrition and overall health outcomes.

By monitoring real-time patient intake, the team was able to identify patients who may require additional nutritional support or interventions promptly. A great example in action was through the dashboard assessment of a salad available on the menu that had poor ratings. Through trialling several recipes following comments from patients, the quality improvement cook created a new recipe with 50% of improved rates.

Overall, this initiative exemplifies the importance of patient-centre approaches in healthcare, emphasizing the nature of personalised experiences that lead to holistic wellbeing.

Key comment from Dale Trevor, consumer representative:

'The "How Good Was Your Meal" initiative at RBWH exemplifies the power of collaboration and innovation in healthcare.

By prioritising patient feedback and utilising technology, the hospital has created a dynamic feedback loop that not only enhances meal quality but also promotes patient satisfaction and well-being.

As food is recognised as a form of medicine, initiatives like this underscore the importance of optimising the palatability of meals to support patient recovery and minimise food waste.

In the future these findings will help shape patient feedback software that can keep the kitchen well informed as they introduce new meals, monitor old favourites and decide which meals could be axed in favour of better ones.

If you have to visit hospital any time soon, we hope that something appetising will be there to tempt your recovery. Bon appetit!'