The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49540

Kimberly Pettis, RD, Clinical Nutrition Services, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest & I78, Allentown, PA 18105, 610-402-8609, kimberly.pettis@lvh.com

Introduction: As one part of its efforts to improve patient satisfaction in the provision of diet education while providing real world experience for dietetic students, the nutrition department of a 720 bed premier academic community hospital entered a partnership with senior students at an area college nutrition program to expand the availability and access for therapeutic diet education.

Purpose: The study sought to meet two objectives: 1) Expand inpatient diet education and awareness of community programs. 2) Provide an opportunity for students to receive hands on experience in clinical dietetics.

Methods: Students were trained to provide diet education and discuss food and nutrition service satisfaction with both inpatients and recently discharged patients. Students were provided with diet education outlines and discharge call scripts to ensure consistency in information provided. Students are assigned units for inpatient visits and discharge contacts to follow-up on further diet education needs or referrals to community programs.

Results: Patient satisfaction scores as measured by Press Ganey, an independent survey group, for how well diet information was explained to the patient increased from a mean score of 69.7 to 83.3 bringing the hospital from the 45% to the 98% in peer group percentile ranking over the course of a year.

Conclusion: This data suggests patients value personalized diet education by a knowledgeable nutrition source. Students were well received by patients and were a successful contributor to impacting patient satisfaction.

Implications: Utilizing community partnerships to expand inpatient diet explanation can impact patient satisfaction and add value to student learning.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.) Describe necessary components in the development of a community partnership program to enhance patient education and improve patient satisfaction in a health care facility.
• 2.) Identify innovative ways to build value into the program for all parties involved.
• 3.) Create real life training opportunities for students to enhance their hands on experience.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition, Health Education Strategies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Lehigh Valley Hospital Network
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.