Co-creating passion for food in hospitals

Hospital meals have increasingly become part of the political and scientific agenda of the welfare discussions in Denmark and other European countries. This is due to limited financial resources in the public welfare system but also due to a discussion on experienced meal quality and the challenges related to undernutrition. 30 percent of patients at Danish Hospitals are as such considered at risk of being undernourished leading to increased morbidity, mortality and prolonged convalescence. Furthermore, it has been estimated that the national health system could save approximately 1½ billion Danish kroner annually, if attention towards nutritional care was improved. However, discussions on improving the performance of welfare provision and nutritional care in the public have mainly focused on the role of the public, whereas the role of patients and clients has only partly been illustrated. As the limits of the welfare system in the future are increasingly debated along with its financial aspects the role of co-creation has become the focus of more research. In the context of health care, patient co-creation can be characterised as the phenomena where the role of the patient changes from a passive to an active role of contributor of care. A key motivator for co-creation in health care is its potential positive impact on patients’ adherence to treatment, which in turn might yield better clinical outcomes and lower costs.