J Korean Diet Assoc.  2016 May;22(2):118-130. 10.14373/JKDA.2016.22.2.118.

Analysis of Operational Characteristics and Substantiality Plan of Inpatient Diets for Foreigners in Hospitals

• Kim HM
• Kim EM
• Kim HJ
• Baek HJ
• Park MS
• Lee GJ
• Lee HY

• KMID: 2163314
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14373/JKDA.2016.22.2.118

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to analyze the operational characteristics and to explore the substantiality plan of inpatient diets for foreigners in hospitals. Questionnaires were mail-delivered to 128 hospitals, and a total of 62 questionnaires were usable with a response rate of 48.4 percent. Statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS Win 11.0 for descriptive analysis, independent t-test, and χ2 test. Results can be summarized as follows. The average number of inpatient meals for foreigners in the last 6 months were 405 and 53 for general therapeutic diets and special therapeutic diets, respectively. The rates of hospitals with an exclusive department and exclusive staff for foreign inpatients were 48.4% and 53.2%, respectively. Major nationalities of foreign inpatients were China (37.5%) and Russia (31.3%), and their major medical departments were internal medicine (43.9%) and surgery (39.0%). The number of hospitals that provided inpatient diet only for foreigners was 42 (72.4%) and influencing factors were number of permitted beds (P<0.05), an exclusive department (P<0.001), and exclusive staff (P<0.01). The main type of menu was USA·European style (61.1%), and the price of inpatient meals for foreigners was mostly \10,000~\25,000 (62.0%). As 75.9% of hospitals did not possess dietary slip manuals for foreigners, the case of preparing inpatient meals for foreigners in the form of a general therapeutic diet partially-modified according to disease was the majority (55.4%). Dietitians felt the need for nutrition management guidelines and dietary slip manuals (47.3%) as a substantiality plan of inpatient diets for foreigners. There is a need for exclusive foodservice standards for foreign inpatients in the changing medical environment.

Keyword

inpatient diet for foreigner; hospital foodservice; substantiality plan; foreign inpatient; meal for foreigner

MeSH Terms

China
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Diet*
Emigrants and Immigrants*
Ethnic Groups
Humans
Inpatients*
Internal Medicine
Meals
Nutritionists
Russia