As a public hospital, the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) provides diverse healthcare services to patients of all ages and Ubudehe categories in Rwanda. The majority of patients carry health insurance, Mutuelle de Santé, which reimburses all services and drugs available at the hospital. Food, however, is not currently provided as part of this routine hospital care, so common practice at CHUK, as at all public healthcare centres across Rwanda, is for patients to be fed by friends or family. The nutritional composition and sanitary quality of the food is unknown, and therefore the special dietary needs of sick, immunocompromised patients may not be met. On top of this, 58% of families experience food insecurity or are at risk of becoming food insecure. Families who are food insecure are not able to meet household nutritional needs, yet must stay with their loved one in-hospital and provide a nutritious diet. 

We know that hospital patients who receive nutritious foods recover from illness quicker, have shorter hospital stays, and have a lower mortality risk. With this, it is important to understand how and what patients are being fed while in intensive care.

We will conduct a study in collaboration with CHUK and Nova Scotia Health Authority clinicians. We’ll assess food intake of hospitalized patients in the ICU, as well as their perceived nutrition support. We will also document current protocols and healthcare practitioner practices surrounding feeding and nutrition in the ICU, including a survey of ICU dietitian and nurse practices. We hope that this study will inform future research, and potentially lead to institutional change to tweak nutrition and food policies, and maybe even start feeding patients most nutritionally at risk.

Study partners include Dr. Jennifer Szerb, Dr. Bonaventure Uwineza (CHUK), Dr. Jean de Dieu Tuyishime (Ministry of Health/Kibungo Referral Hospital), Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy (MSVU) and MSc AHN Student Jolene Bianco (MSVU).