Department of Enterprise Information Systems, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2024 Aug;62:43-56. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2024.05.002. Epub 2024 May 15.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Over $150,000 are lost annually due to meal tray waste in a large hospital in the United States. This study aims to explore the root causes of meal tray waste within a decentralized foodservice model and strategies to mitigate waste.
A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used by first identifying hospital units high and low in meal tray waste using recorded food management data from January 2021 through September 2022, then conducting observations, mobile-interviews (n = 16), and in-depth interviews with hospital foodservice staff (n = 6) and nurses (n = 6) in each unit. Lastly, hospital and topic experts (n = 10) were engaged in strategizing solutions to reduce meal tray waste.
Findings indicate meal tray waste is increased when patients discharge and when standard trays (i.e., also known as house trays, which include items not requested by patients) are provided. Meal tray waste points to the unpredictability in a hospital that often arises due to patient circumstances, lack of coordination between nursing and foodservice staff, patients' food preferences, and the need for system and workflow improvements in a decentralized foodservice model.
Findings highlight considerations that may be applicable across diverse medical institutions seeking to reduce meal tray waste. Hospitals should choose the best foodservice model that suits their institution to manage operations efficiently, focusing on reducing waste, cost optimization, patient satisfaction, and sustainability.
在美国的一家大型医院，每年因餐盒浪费而损失超过 15 万美元。本研究旨在探索分散式餐饮服务模式下餐盒浪费的根本原因，并提出减少浪费的策略。
采用混合方法序贯解释设计，首先利用 2021 年 1 月至 2022 年 9 月的食物管理记录数据，确定餐盒浪费较高和较低的医院科室，然后对这些科室的餐饮服务人员（n=6）和护士（n=6）进行观察、移动访谈，并对他们进行深入访谈，最后邀请医院和主题专家（n=10）共同制定减少餐盒浪费的策略。
研究结果表明，当患者出院和提供标准托盘（即所谓的“房内托盘”，其中包含患者未要求的物品）时，餐盒浪费会增加。餐盒浪费表明医院存在不可预测性，这种不可预测性通常源于患者的情况、护理和餐饮服务人员之间缺乏协调、患者的食物偏好以及分散式餐饮服务模式下系统和工作流程改进的需求。
研究结果强调了可能适用于寻求减少餐盒浪费的不同医疗机构的注意事项。医院应选择最适合其机构的餐饮服务模式，以有效地管理运营，重点是减少浪费、优化成本、提高患者满意度和实现可持续性。
