In-Patients' Food Consumption and Perception on Foodservice Quality at Hospitals

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this research were to investigate in-patients' perception on foodservice quality and to examine factors influencing their meal consumption at hospitals. Three general hospitals with over 400 beds in Seoul and Chon-An agreed to participate in the research. A total of 516 in-patients of the hospitals were surveyed on their meal consumptions, reasons of plate wastes, perceptions of foodservice quality, and demographic information. A response rate was 76% after excluding responses with significant missing data. On average the regular diet patients consumed 72%, 69%, and 68% of rice, soups, and side dishes served, respectively; the therapeutic diet patients consumed less than 70% of the meals they were served. The consumption rates did not differ significantly by diet type, gender, age, and hospitalization period. Among the therapeutic diet patients, those who had nutrition education consumed significantly more rice than the others (p<0.05). The main reasons why the patients did not eat all food served were 'lack of energy' and 'not tasty'. The patients' perception on foodservice quality was low; the therapeutic diet patients perceived more negatively than the regular diet patients in 'keeping hot food hot, cold food cold(p<0.05)', 'maintaining consistency of taste(p<0.01)', and 'providing nutrition information(p<0.01)'. To achieve the goal of the foodservice at hospitals, the dietitians can use the findings of the research in developing and implementing strategies to improve the patients' meal consumption. Recipe standardization, employee training, and production management will be useful for improving food quality and nutrition education on therapeutic diets for the patients will improve their meal consumption at hospitals.