[Development, application and evaluation of a method for organizing the hospital nutrition department].

In recent decades hospital food and nutrition departments have taken on increased functions and responsibilities. However, not enough emphasis has been given to strengthening the administration of these departments. A method was developed to offer adequate guidelines for their organization, based on the principles of administrative process. The project had four stages. In the first, a method was designed for defining, applying, and evaluating the desired technical/administrative structure of a nutrition department. In the second, the method was put into effect in the Food and Nutrition Service of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Guatemala City. Next, the method was revised, taking into account the results obtained during its application. Finally, it was evaluated for its applicability to other institutions, its acceptability to hospital management, and the organizational effectiveness achieved. The results indicate that the department's effectiveness, the food quality, the acceptability of the diets, and the services provided improved by 96%, 92%, 82%, and 100%, respectively. At the same time, the department's staff was reduced by 14%, and the budget for food purchases was decreased by 21% without affecting the quality of the services provided. The method described can serve as a guide for planning the food department in any hospital or child care center, if it is adjusted to the particular characteristics of the nutrition department to which it is applied.