People perception about Nutrition and Dietetics in various hospitals of Chandigarh

Abstract

There was increasing awareness of the importance of nutrition among health
professionals and the public. This has led to a growing demand for dietetic and
nutritional advice. However, dietitians may not be widely recognized by the public as
experts in this field. Little research has been done on the public perception about
nutrition and dietetics in various hospitals of Chandigarh. To assess public perception
about nutrition and dietetics in various hospitals of Chandigarh by means of a
questionnaire. It was decided to compare the food service quality of famous Fortis
Hospital with the other hospitals of Chandigarh, a well known healthcare organization
which is probably on the same level of people perception about nutrition and dietetics
in these hospitals of Chandigarh (Fortis Hospital, Max Hospital and IVY Hospital) . The
questionnaire was also used to determine who the public would go to first for nutrition
information. The purposes of this study were to assess hospital foodservice quality and
to identify causes of quality problems and improvement strategies. Based on the review
of literature, hospital foodservice quality was defined. The study was conducted to
assess the nutritional standards specified on diet manuals and nutrients of planned
menus, served meals, and consumed meals for regular, diabetic, and low-sodium diets
were assessed in three general hospitals. Quality problems were found in all three
hospitals since patients consumed less than their nutritional requirements. The
Hospital Foodservice Quality Model was useful tool for identifying causes of the
foodservice quality problems in hospitals.