118 research outputs found
No longer hungry in hospital : improving the hospital mealtime experience for older people through Action Research
‘The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com.’ Copyright Blackwell Publishing DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.02063.xAims and objectives.  This study aimed to improve the mealtime experience of older people in a hospital setting through helping staff to make changes to their clinical practice and the ward environment. Background.  Poor nutritional care has been a persistent and seemingly intractable problem for many years. Methods.  We used an action research design for the study, drawing on techniques from practice development to support the action phase of the work, including action learning, role modelling good practice and reflection. The ward context was explored at the beginning and end of the study using focus groups, interviews, observation and benchmarking. Results.  Ward staff made a number of changes to their nursing practice. The most significant was that all staff became engaged with, prioritized and were involved in the mealtime, ensuring that there was sufficient time and expertise available to assist patients with eating. Conclusions.  This study demonstrates that it is possible to change nursing practice at mealtimes and that this change leads to improvements in patients’ experience through ensuring they receive the help they need. Relevance to clinical practice.  Although hospital mealtimes are frequently viewed as problematic, we have shown that nurses can be enabled to make changes to their practice that have a positive impact on both the mealtime experience and wider patient care.Peer reviewe
Nutritional care of medical inpatients: a health technology assessment
BACKGROUND: The inspiration for the present assessment of the nutritional care of medical patients is puzzlement about the divide that exists between the theoretical knowledge about the importance of the diet for ill persons, and the common failure to incorporate nutritional aspects in the treatment and care of the patients. The purpose is to clarify existing problems in the nutritional care of Danish medical inpatients, to elucidate how the nutritional care for these inpatients can be improved, and to analyse the costs of this improvement. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative methods are deployed to outline how nutritional care of medical inpatients is performed at three Danish hospitals. The practices observed are compared with official recommendations for nutritional care of inpatients. Factors extraneous and counterproductive to optimal nutritional care are identified from the perspectives of patients and professional staff. A review of the literature illustrates the potential for optimal nutritional care. A health economic analysis is performed to elucidate the savings potential of improved nutritional care. RESULTS: The prospects for improvements in nutritional care are ameliorated if hospital management clearly identifies nutritional care as a priority area, and enjoys access to management tools for quality assurance. The prospects are also improved if a committed professional at the ward has the necessary time resources to perform nutritional care in practice, and if the care staff can requisition patient meals rich in nutrients 24 hours a day. At the kitchen production level prospects benefit from a facilitator contact between care and kitchen staff, and if the kitchen staff controls the whole food path from the kitchen to the patient. At the patient level, prospects are improved if patients receive information about the choice of food and drink, and have a better nutrition dialogue with the care staff. Better nutritional care of medical patients in Denmark is estimated to hold a cost savings potential reaching approximately USD 22 million. CONCLUSION: Every hospital and every bed ward has its strengths and weaknesses, but none of the participating bed wards fully satisfy nutritional care success criteria. All organisational levels have a significant potential for improvements of nutritional care of medical inpatients
NHS consultation and the voluntary sector
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:q97/00133 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
The golden age of patient and pulic involvement
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:1109. 7222(2002/2003) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
Memorandum of evidence for the Health Committee inquiry into NHS responsibilities for meeting continuing health care needs
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q95/21802 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
GP fund-holding Profit or loss for patients?
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q94/05961 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
Community health councils directory 1998/99
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3363.62915(1998/99) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
CHCs and black and ethnic minorities
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m01/30954 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
CHCs making our nation healthier ACHCEW's response to the public health Green Paper for England
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m01/30951 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
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