Gastronomy & Hospital Foodservice

on February 20, 2013 at 2:37 pm

It has been said 100 times before, “Hospital food stinks!” Over the years hospital food has definitely got a bad rap. However, I question why? Is it the equipment we are using? Is the food itself just bad? I believe hospital foodservice of higher quality can be achieved and has direct relations to the concepts of gastronomy.

Gastronomy…

Gourmet dining. Is there space in hospital food service? Gastronomy embraces the concept of enjoying the very best in food and drink. It encompasses reflective eating, cooking and food preparation. This means that gastronomy truly questions how the food was prepared, where it came from, how it was cooked, and how it tasted. The goal of gastronomy is for total enjoyment of the food.

Wait a minute…

What would be considered high quality hospital foodservice? High quality hospital foodservice encompasses good food and positive communication between employees, patients, colleagues, and managers. Ultimately, a truly enjoyable experience wants to be created. The food should be enjoyed in its entirety from preparation to service.

The gap between the two

What is the difference? Nothing. Both share a common goal of client/patient satisfaction. It is a little far-fetched to think we could create an environment that would completely resemble the environment of gourmet dining but I challenge you to think that we could get fairly close.

How can this be achieved?

High quality hospital foodservice can be achieved by incorporating the concepts of gastronomy in every day practice. This is done through the food, delivery of the meals, and interaction.

The food

The food is clearly a key component to creating the best possible “gourmet” experience in the hospital. The concepts of gastronomy to consider are reflective preparation and reflective cooking. Earlier I questioned if the equipment was the problem. The answer is no. Whatever quality of food you decide to put into that equipment is going to be the quality of the food that comes out.

Good food in = Good food out.

This does not mean that all hospitals have to go back to the 1930s and scratch cooking. Ownership over the food served needs to be taken. This means considering the quality of food you are purchasing. Question whether everything that is put in the equipment needs to be processed. Consider bringing fresh and local products back into the hospital kitchen. Simple recipes made with fresh ingredients from your own neighborhood can be cooked in a retherm cart and are cost effective and also delicious to taste. Not only are you going to make patients happy but you are also supporting local farmers and giving back to the community.

The delivery

Another component to high quality hospital foodservice is the delivery. This also encompasses the reflective preparation and reflective cooking concepts in gastronomy. The delivery of the food should be on time and at the right temperature. Where the delivery can fail is when the process of preparing and cooking the food is bogged down by non-value added steps. This requires foodservice to re-evaluate their delivery system and consider lean principles. Is there room to become more efficient, faster, and effective at delivering the food? Evaluating these processes gives the possibility of opening up FTEs to focus on another key component interaction.

The interaction

To achieve quality hospital foodservice positive interaction is required. This relates to the reflective eating concept of gastronomy. A connection with the patient needs to be created.

Studies have documented the effect of personable service on patient satisfaction. Hospitals have implemented training programs where the focus was solely on creating a connection with the patient. Creating a connection included:

knocking before entering the patient’s room
smiling
being knowledgeable about the food being delivered
positioning of the tray upon delivery

Consider how this includes the choice of utensils, plates, and napkins used to present the food. Being knowledgeable about the food includes explaining to the patient where the food came from and how it was prepared. When including fresh and local products be sure to tell the patient what was made with those foods. The patient will then know your commitment to the community and will feel great about the foods they are eating. Also don’t forget about garnishes, a small touch that can go a long way.

Hospitals have seen that without changing anything with the food, patient satisfaction increases significantly demonstrating the impact of creating a connection with the patient. Ultimately, creating a connection with the patient affects the overall environment for the patient allowing for a more enjoyable dining experience.

While this may sound great, you may think it is not doable since in hospital foodservice we are always being asked to do more with less. Making this connection can seem to be “not in the budget.” However, remember the lean principles. Implementing lean principles can save time and open up FTEs to be used towards creating a patient connection. After evaluating the preparation and delivery process of the meals, FTEs that are no longer needed to do these tasks can be used to create the connection.

Putting it all together

The concepts of gastronomy focus on truly making an enjoyable dining experience. This is a common goal shared with hospital foodservice that is trying to reach a higher quality and ultimately higher patient satisfaction. Considering the concepts of gastronomy and including them into everyday practice will bring hospital foodservice to level of gourmet dining. Small changes over time will have a huge impact. I challenge you to think outside of the box and reach for the gourmet dining experience.