Assessment Of The Impact Of A Snack Initiative Programme For Reduction Of Hospital-Acquired Malnutrition Among Nutritionally High-Risk Patients.

Nutrition is an integral component of patient care and recovery. In Irish acute care, approximately 10,500 patients rely on hospital catering for their dietary intake. In 2024, an initiative was undertaken in Cork University Hospital (CUH) to assess staff compliance to snack rounds, staff knowledge, patient awareness and satisfaction of the snack range. Using a survey, phase 1 (n = 28) established baseline patient awareness of snack availability. As a result, strategies including staff education and increased ward- level signposting of snack resources were implemented. A repeat survey was conducted in Phase 2 (2025) (n = 30) to assess changes in patient awareness and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. No statistically significant difference was observed in patient awareness of the snack range between 2024 and 2025 (p = 0.203). In Phase 1, 54% of patients reported awareness of available snacks, compared with 47% in Phase 2, indicating that strategies implemented following Phase 1 did not result in measurable improvements in patient awareness. However, qualitative feedback from Phase 2 demonstrated positive patient perceptions of information posters, whereby all participants reported posters to be a helpful resource, with one patient, for example, noting that the poster stimulated appetite and encouraged snack intake. Further research with additional targeted intervention is required to enhance patient engagement with hospital snack service and optimal nutritional intake in the acute care setting.