Background: Traditional methods of collecting patient feedback on food items, such as the validated meal assessment tool can be inefficient and unreliable. This project aimed to develop and implement a digital meal rating tool (DMRT) to support real-time improvements to food services, thus improving patient outcomes and experience while also reducing waste and saving time on audits.
Approach: Over a series of three iterations, the digital meal rating tool was developed and trialled with patients. The tool used a 5-point Likert scale rating system that patients accessed via their device or completed with the support of staff. The usability of the DMRT in comparison to the meal assessment tool was tested over 4 weeks.
Outcome: To refine and assess the usability of the tool 492 paired responses from patients were collected for both the MAT and the DMRT. The digital tool supported a more instantaneous collection and collation of feedback, resulting in substantial efficiencies in data collection and analysis. The DMRT was integrated into the food service system in Feb 2023. In the 6 months following this 1210 responses were collected, with this feedback used to enhance and evaluate changes to local food services.
Implications for practice: The digital meal rating tool embraces digital transformation to support the real-time collection, review and action of patient meal feedback to improve patient experience and outcomes. Future work is planned to undertake validity testing, embed into the meal management system to further increase efficiency, and support adoption at other hospitals.