How long does a box of chocolates last on a hospital ward?
The survival time of chocolates on hospital wards: covert observational study
Doctors left boxes of chocolates on hospital wards and secretly timed how long each one lasted.
Researchers placed boxes of Quality Street and Roses on four hospital wards and kept them under covert surveillance, noting the exact moment each of 258 chocolates was eaten.
The median survival time of a chocolate was 51 minutes, and it took an average of just 12 minutes for a new box to be opened. Healthcare assistants and nurses ate the most, followed by doctors. The authors’ competing interests section lists everyone’s favourite chocolate, which is the kind of transparency science needs.
On a hospital ward, a chocolate’s life is short but deeply appreciated.