Abstract
Hospital meals are an integral component of the care given to inward patients and it facilitates recovery and contributes to patient satisfaction regarding the overall treatment experience. Providing nutritionally appropriate and microbiologically safe food that satisfies the patient's appetite should be the aim of every hospital food service. However, scant attention is given to food service in many health care settings, resulting in meals of inferior quality, excessive food wastage and even health risks for patients. This paper presents a brief review of the importance of nutritional care and hospital food services, challenges faced by the hospital food services, different mechanisms of operation and the key indicators of food service quality and standards. The limitations in the current food service system in Sri Lankan health care settings and possible areas for improvement are also outlined.
Highlights
Hospital meals are a critical component of care given to inward patients and it improves the well-being of patients [1, 2]
A number of food service systems are used for provision of hospital meals [8]
Research has proven that patient satisfaction on hospital food service can be improved by interventions that improve meal delivery [1,2] and quality of food [21]
Summary
Hospital meals are a critical component of care given to inward patients and it improves the well-being of patients [1, 2]. Provision of meals is a part of the routine in-patient care worldwide, adding more 'hospitality' to the services. A proportion of hospitalised patients are dependent solely on hospital food for their nutritional requirements [3]. Malnutrition is common among hospitalised patients [4, 5] These patients have a prolonged hospital stay and a greater risk of developing complications and infections [5]. Contamination of food with pathogenic organisms can pose potentially serious health risks Notwithstanding this essential role of improving health of the patients and facilitating a fast recovery, nutritional care and food services are an underdeveloped aspect of care provision in many health institutions [7]. The challenges faced by hospital food services are multi-faceted due to the wide range of dietary needs of the patients. Health care institutions in a competitive environment are seeking novel approaches to meet these challenges through constant upgrading of their meal distribution services
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