Uploaded to flickr by mallitch.

A glass of wine with a dinner while in the hospital? Recently, one hospital in Indiana has gained attention for allowing patients just that.

Patients at Parkview Ortho Hospital can bring their own wine to have with dinner. Administrators hope this will brighten their stays and improve overall satisfaction. Although a hospital spokesman emphasized that this is not, “a technique or selling point to attract consumers to Parkview hospitals,” the move is indicative of the healthcare industry’s increased focus on improving the patient experience.

While covering the story, NPR’s health blog Shots investigated the policies at a number of hospitals and reported that allowing admitted patients alcohol is not as uncommon as one might expect. They learned from the Association for Healthcare Foodservice that many healthcare facilities actually “stock beer, wine, and even liquor to dispense to patients with their physicians’ blessing.”

That last part of the quote is key – mixing alcohol and certain prescription drugs, particularly the narcotics frequently prescribed to post-op patients staying in the hospital, can be very dangerous.