Assessing the Quality of the Food Offered in Quebec Healthcare Facilities: Tool’s Content Development and Face Validity

Purpose: This study aimed (i) to develop the content of a tool assessing the quality of the food offered to inpatients/residents in healthcare facilities (short- and long-term care) of the province of Quebec and (ii) to evaluate its face validity. Methods: The tool’s initial content was developed based on available literature and consultations with foodservice managers and registered dietitians. Face validity was evaluated using a Delphi method involving potential users–including foodservice managers and government partners–and experts in the field and consisting of two rounds, mainly focusing on the clarity and the relevance of questions. Results: This study led to the development of a 72-question tool divided into two parts. Part 1 addresses the characteristics of the healthcare facility and the menu (37 questions), and Part 2 measures the inpatient/resident’s perception of the food offered with distinctive versions for short- (21 questions) and long-term care facilities (35 questions). Conclusions: The development of a tool adapted to the Quebec context will enable a standardized evaluation of the quality of the food offered to inpatients/residents in healthcare facilities at a provincial level. This tool fulfills a gap identified in the literature and on the field during previous phases of the project.