Evaluation of Diet Service in Base Hospital, Warakapola

Introduction: Diet service of a hospital plays a key role in overall patient's satisfaction and quality of health care delivery.

 

Objective: to evaluate the diet service of Base Hospital, Warakapola.

 

Methods: Process mapping the hospital diet service, assessment of employee experience, patient satisfaction survey and a survey of plate waste were the main components of the study. Research techniques used were, using of check list to collect secondary data through desk reviews and observations, Key informant interviews using interviewer guides with selected staff members and for patient satisfaction survey, use of an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

 

Results: Diet requirements were estimated assuming all patients who have requested diet for a given day would need all three meals, but only 11.64% inward patients had expected all meals. Patients choice or opinion of staff were not considered in setting menus. Menus were not appealing to the patients, and they were not communicated till the food was served to them. Tea and soup were served with the main meals. The plate waste was 24.26%. The whole process was heavily paper based.

 

Conclusion: Gaps in the process and practices of diet service had led to reduced patients' satisfaction regarding menus, timeliness of serving and appearance of food. Estimation of food requirements based on erroneous assumptions had contributed to plate waste.

 

Strategic catering and feeding policies giving due respect to patients' choice in food selection could improve the outcome of hospital diet service.