Patient Satisfaction With Hospital Foodservice and its Impact on Plate Waste in Public Hospitals in East Malaysia

Background: Foodservice is an important issue in hospital settings, and patients’ levels of satisfaction are often indicated by consumption and plate waste. Objective: The current study compared patient satisfaction in hospital areas and other factors and determined the relationship between patient satisfaction and plate waste. Methods: This quantitative research was performed in four East Malaysian public hospitals. Patients at these hospitals were asked to complete a questionnaire which had three parts: A) general information, B) patient satisfaction questionnaire (Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire), and C) plate waste scale (Comstock ۶-point scale). Results: A total of ۱۸۹ patients participated. The results indicated that overall, ۵۳.۳%, ۲۹.۳%, ۱۴.۱%, ۲.۷%, and ۰.۵% of respondents rated the hospital foodservice as okay, good, poor, very good, and very poor, respectively. Average plate waste was ۳۵% for all hospitals, and only ۱۱% of patients finished all the food served. Satisfaction with hospital food differed according to the catering system (in-house and outsourced). However, the results also indicated that satisfaction with hospital foodservice was not significantly related to food wastage (r=-۰.۰۱۸, n=۱۸۹, P=۰.۸۰۹). Conclusion: Various factors in hospital foodservice, especially food quality, should be improved to motivate patients to consume hospital food.

کلیدواژه ها:

Patient Satisfaction ، Food Services ، Hospitals