Novel Meal Service Improves Nutritional Intake

June 21, 2017 updated by: Radboud University Medical Center

A Novel In-hospital Meal Service Improves Protein and Energy Intake

This study aims to investigate whether a novel meal service FoodforCare (FfC), comprising 6-protein-rich meals a day following proactive advice from a nutritional assistant, improves dietary intake and patient satisfaction, compared to the traditional 3-meals a day service (TMS).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The investigators performed a quasi experimental study at medical (Gastroenterology) and surgical (Gynecology, Urology, Orthopedics) wards. Patients were offered TMS (July 2015 - May 2016; n=326) or FfC meal service (after stepwise introduction per ward from January 2016 - December 2016; n=311). Primary outcome was the mean percentage of protein and energy intake relative to requirements, between patients receiving TMS and those receiving FfC, on the first and fourth day of full oral intake. Patient satisfaction comprised rating of the experienced quality of the food and the meal service and by means of a validated questionnaire.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

637

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients admitted to the Departments of Gastroenterology, Urology/Gynaecology and Orthopedics.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Dutch speaking
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Exclusively oral intake
  • Expected hospital stay of at least 1 day

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with tube- or parenteral feeding
  • A language barrier
  • Considered to be too weak to adequately answer our questions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Traditional meal service
TMS consists of three meals served by nutritional assistants throughout the day. Preference for dinner can be indicated in the morning by the individual patient from a menu list with predefined choices for meat, potatoes/rice/pasta and vegetables with various portion sizes.
Other: Meal service
The type of meal service in the hospital (usual care)
FoodforCare
FfC consists of a 6-meals per day service. At bedside, patients are offered one or more small protein-rich dishes from a choice of 3. Nutritional assistants play a key role in recommending and delivering these protein-rich meals and assist patient in choosing the most optimal dish, based on the patient's nutrition order in the electronic patient record.
Other: Meal service
The type of meal service in the hospital (usual care)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Protein intake day 1 (gram)
Time Frame: 1 day
The percentage of protein intake (gram) relative to requirements (1.2 gram/kilogram bodyweight) on the first day of full oral intake.
1 day
Protein intake day 4 (gram)
Time Frame: 4 days
The percentage of protein intake (gram) relative to requirements (1.2 gram/kilogram bodyweight) on the fourth day of full oral intake.
4 days
Energy intake day 1 (kcal)
Time Frame: 1 day
The percentage of energy intake (kcal) relative to requirements (Harris & Benedict formula * 1.3) on the first day of full oral intake.
1 day
Energy intake day 4 (kcal)
Time Frame: 4 days
The percentage of energy intake (kcal) relative to requirements (Harris & Benedict formula * 1.3) on the fourth day of full oral intake.
4 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patients' satisfaction (food appreciation and access to food)
Time Frame: 3 day
Patients completed a questionnaire on food appreciation and experiences regarding food access on the third day of full oral intake in the hospital.
3 day
Patients' satisfaction (food quality and meal service)
Time Frame: 3 day
Patients completed a questionnaire in which they rated the quality of the food and the meal service (scale 0-10) on the third day of full oral intake in the hospital.
3 day
Change in nutritional status (body weight)
Time Frame: 4 days
Body weight (in kg) was measured prior to meals in the morning of the first and fourth day of oral intake.
4 days
Change in nutritional status (handgrip strength)
Time Frame: 4 days
Handgrip strength (in kg) was measured prior to meals in the morning of the first and fourth day of oral intake.
4 days
Nutritional status (height)
Time Frame: 1 day
Height (in cm) was measured prior to meals in the morning of the first day of oral intake.
1 day
Nutritional status (malnutrition universal screening tool)
Time Frame: 1 day
Malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST)) was measured prior to meals in the morning of the first day of oral intake. Weight (kg) and height (cm) will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2.
1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Radboud University Medical Center

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Geert Wanten, MD, PhD, MSc, Radboud University Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 28, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 22, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

December 22, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 2, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 21, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 21, 2017

Last Verified

May 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2015-1805

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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