Factors Influencing Patients' Satisfaction with Meals Served at Hospitals in Malaysia
Keywords:
Taste, appearance, freshness, satisfaction, hospital, patient meal
Abstract
Hospitals play a vital role in restoring patients' health, and the quality of food served can significantly contribute to the recovery process. The food's taste, appearance, and freshness are key factors that can enhance patient satisfaction and, in turn, build trust, improving the hospital's overall performance. Given the many meals served to patients, hospital food service is a critical component of hospital management, with the potential for growth and improvement in service delivery. This research will examine the factors influencing food quality, including taste, appearance, and freshness, and explore how these elements impact patient satisfaction. The findings aim to help hospitals identify areas for improvement and enhance their food service operations.
Downloads
References
Aminuddin, N. F., Vijayakumaran, R. K., & Razak, S. A. (2018). Patient satisfaction with hospital food service and its impact on plate waste in public hospitals in East Malaysia. Hospital Practices and Research, 3(3), 90–97. https://doi.org/10.15171/hpr.2018.20
Boughoula, M., Jamaluddin, R., Manan, N. A. A., Saad, H. A., & Karim, N. A. (2020). Development of a tool to measure patients' satisfaction with hospital foodservice in a government hospital. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 26(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.31246/mjn-2019-0047
Busra, N.N., Abdullah, S.N.D., Ngah, H.C. & Samsudin, A. (2017). Government hospitals, food quality and patient satisfaction. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts, 9(2), 593-602.
Calzon, B. (2023, August 10). What is data analysis? Methods, techniques, types & how-to. Retrieved from https://www.datapine.com/blog/data-analysis-methods-and-techniques/
Elfil, M. (2017). Sampling methods in Clinical Research; an Educational Review. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5325924/
Elizabeth H. (2010). Patient Satisfaction- Why Should We Care? Retrieved on October 15, 2015 from www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736495.
Fang, J., Liu, L., & Fang, P. (2019).
Feng, Y., Wang, Y., Beykal, B., Qiao, M., Xiao, Z., & Luo, Y. (2024). A mechanistic review on machine learning-supported detection and analysis of volatile organic compounds for food quality and safety. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 143, 104297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2023.104297
Fernando, G. H. S., & Wijesinghe, C. J. (2017). Quality and standards of hospital food service; a critical analysis and suggestions for improvements. Galle Medical Journal (Galle), 22(2), 17.
Frost, J. C., & Baldwin, A. J. (2021). 'Food for thought': The importance of nutrition to patient care and the role of the junior doctor. Clinical Medicine, 21(3), e272–e274. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2020-0707
Hoteit, M., Antar, E., Malli, D., Fattouh, F., Khattar, M., Baderddine, N., Cheikh, J. E., Chalak, A., Abiad, M. G., & Hassan, H. F. (2024). A review on hospital food waste quantification, management and assessment strategies in the eastern Mediterranean region. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 15, 100959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100959
Iqbal, M. W., Malik, A. I., Ramzan, M., Memon, M. S., Mari, S. I., & Habib, M. S. (2024). Consumer response to adjustable price and shelf-life of fresh food products under effective preservation policy. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 109897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2024.109897
Jeong, B. A., Lee, K. H., Fan, H., & Uhm, M. Y. (2022). Development of a scale for assessing meal satisfaction in older adults: Meal satisfaction assessment questionnaire (MSAQ). Geriatric Nursing, 44, 30–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.12.015
Jiang, J., Yang, Z., Liu, M., & Huang, J. (2024). Love the color, love its flavor: Preference transfer between visual and gustatory modalities. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 35, 100891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.100891
Lai, H., & Gemming, L. (2021). Approaches to patient satisfaction measurement of the healthcare food services: A systematic review. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 42, 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.12.019
Lee, K. H., & Mo, J. (2019). The Factors Influencing Meal Satisfaction in Older Adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Nursing Research, 13(3), 169–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2019.06.001
Liao, J., Tang, J., Vinelli, A., & Xie, R. (2023). A hybrid sustainability performance measurement approach for fresh food cold supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 398, 136466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136466
Lv, H., Wang, C., He, D., Zhao, H., Zhao, M., Xu, E., Jin, Z., Yuan, C., Guo, L., Wu, Z., Liu, P., & Cui, B. (2024). Intelligent food tag: A starch-anthocyanin-based pH-sensitive electrospun nanofiber mat for real-time food freshness monitoring. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 256, 128384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128384
Lvova, L. (2016). Electronic Tongue Principles and applications in the food industry. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 151–160). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-800243-8.00015-9
Manaf, N. H. A. (2012). Inpatient satisfaction: an analysis of Malaysian public hospitals. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 25(1), 6–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513551211200258
Manaf, N. H. A., & Nooi, P. S. (2007). Patient satisfaction as an indicator of service quality in Malaysian public hospitals. Asian Journal on Quality, 8(3), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1108/15982688200700028
Miyoba, N., & Ogada, I. (2019). Diet satisfaction and associated factors among adult surgical orthopedic inpatients at a teaching hospital in Lusaka province, Zambia; a hospital-based cross-sectional study. BMC Nutrition, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-019-0288-5
Momoh, O. (2023, October 26). Population definition in statistics and how to measure it. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/population.asp
Osman, N. S., Nor, N. M., Sharif, M. S. M., Hamid, S. B. A., & Rahamat, S. (2021). Hospital Food Service Strategies to Improve Food Intakes among Inpatients: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 13(10), 3649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103649
Pawar P. A. & Purwar A. H. (2005). HACCP in Retail and Food Service Operations. Retrieved on October 17, 2015 from www.ijesi.org/papers/Vol%202(10)/version- 2/H02102050066.pdf
Piciocchi, C., Lobefaro, S., Luisi, F., Miraglia, L., Romito, N., Luneia, R., Foti, S., Mocini, E., Poggiogalle, E., Lenzi, A., & Donini, L. M. (2021). Innovative cooking techniques in a hospital food service: Effects on the quality of hospital meals. Nutrition, 93, 111487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2021.111487
Poorani, A. A., Kline, S. F., DeMicco, F. J., & Sullivan, W. (2023). Hospitality to healthcare: Patient Experience Academy, a successful alliance between the ChristianaCare Health System and the University of Delaware. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 112, 103422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103422
Roisin. (2023). Food Freshness Indicators | Senoptica.com. https://senoptica.com/food-freshness-indicators/
Sa’uadi, M. I., Peng, L., Halim, S. A., & Abdullah, J. M. (2023). Bedside examination technique for taste. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Science, 30(4), 207–212. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2023.30.4.17
Sa?d?ç, B. Ç., Bozkul, G., & Karahan, S. (2024). Experiences, difficulties and coping methods of female nurses caring for breast cancer surgery patients: A qualitative study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 69, 102511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102511
Speth, U. S., König, D., Burg, S., Gosau, M., & Friedrich, R. E. (2023). Evaluation of the sense of taste and smell in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Journal of Stomatology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Journal of Stomatology Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 124(1), 101271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jormas.2022.08.014
Tan PC, Kartik B, Thanendran P, Zakaria R, Win ST, Omar SZ. Taste, smell and food-related nausea and vomiting responses in hyperemesis gravidarum: A case-controlled study. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 10;10(1):4445. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61114-y. PMID: 32157169; PMCID: PMC7064589.
Tanner, D. J. (2016). Impacts of storage on food quality. In Elsevier eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.03479-x
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
Teka, M., Dihar, G., Dana, T., Asnake, G., Wakgari, N., Bonger, Z., & Binu, W. (2022). Satisfaction with regular hospital food services and associated factors among adult patients in Wolaita zone, Ethiopia: A facility-based cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 17(3), e0264163. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264163
Trinca, V., Iraniparast, M., Morrison?Koechl, J., Duizer, L., & Keller, H. (2021). Hospital Food Experience Questionnaire (HFEQ): Reliable, valid and predicts food intake in adult patients. Clinical Nutrition, 40(6), 4011–4021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2021.04.041
Wang, X., McClements, D. J., Xu, Z., Meng, M., Qiu, C., Long, J., Jin, Z., & Chen, L. (2023). Recent advances in the optimization of the sensory attributes of fried foods: Appearance, flavor, and texture. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 138, 297–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2023.06.012
Wilandh, E., Josefsson, M. S., Osowski, C. P., & Sydner, Y. M. (2024). Better Hospital Foodservice – aspects highlighted in research published 2000-2023: A Scoping Review. Clinical Nutrition Open Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutos.2024.01.001
Younes, S. (2024). The impact of micronutrients on the sense of taste. Human Nutrition & Metabolism, 35, 200231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hnm.2023.200231
Boughoula, M., Jamaluddin, R., Manan, N. A. A., Saad, H. A., & Karim, N. A. (2020). Development of a tool to measure patients' satisfaction with hospital foodservice in a government hospital. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 26(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.31246/mjn-2019-0047
Busra, N.N., Abdullah, S.N.D., Ngah, H.C. & Samsudin, A. (2017). Government hospitals, food quality and patient satisfaction. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts, 9(2), 593-602.
Calzon, B. (2023, August 10). What is data analysis? Methods, techniques, types & how-to. Retrieved from https://www.datapine.com/blog/data-analysis-methods-and-techniques/
Elfil, M. (2017). Sampling methods in Clinical Research; an Educational Review. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5325924/
Elizabeth H. (2010). Patient Satisfaction- Why Should We Care? Retrieved on October 15, 2015 from www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736495.
Fang, J., Liu, L., & Fang, P. (2019).
What is the most important factor affecting patient satisfaction &- A study based on gamma coefficient
Patient Preference and Adherence, Volume 13, 515–525.Feng, Y., Wang, Y., Beykal, B., Qiao, M., Xiao, Z., & Luo, Y. (2024). A mechanistic review on machine learning-supported detection and analysis of volatile organic compounds for food quality and safety. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 143, 104297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2023.104297
Fernando, G. H. S., & Wijesinghe, C. J. (2017). Quality and standards of hospital food service; a critical analysis and suggestions for improvements. Galle Medical Journal (Galle), 22(2), 17.
Frost, J. C., & Baldwin, A. J. (2021). 'Food for thought': The importance of nutrition to patient care and the role of the junior doctor. Clinical Medicine, 21(3), e272–e274. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2020-0707
Hoteit, M., Antar, E., Malli, D., Fattouh, F., Khattar, M., Baderddine, N., Cheikh, J. E., Chalak, A., Abiad, M. G., & Hassan, H. F. (2024). A review on hospital food waste quantification, management and assessment strategies in the eastern Mediterranean region. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 15, 100959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100959
Iqbal, M. W., Malik, A. I., Ramzan, M., Memon, M. S., Mari, S. I., & Habib, M. S. (2024). Consumer response to adjustable price and shelf-life of fresh food products under effective preservation policy. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 109897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2024.109897
Jeong, B. A., Lee, K. H., Fan, H., & Uhm, M. Y. (2022). Development of a scale for assessing meal satisfaction in older adults: Meal satisfaction assessment questionnaire (MSAQ). Geriatric Nursing, 44, 30–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.12.015
Jiang, J., Yang, Z., Liu, M., & Huang, J. (2024). Love the color, love its flavor: Preference transfer between visual and gustatory modalities. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 35, 100891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.100891
Lai, H., & Gemming, L. (2021). Approaches to patient satisfaction measurement of the healthcare food services: A systematic review. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 42, 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.12.019
Lee, K. H., & Mo, J. (2019). The Factors Influencing Meal Satisfaction in Older Adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Nursing Research, 13(3), 169–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2019.06.001
Liao, J., Tang, J., Vinelli, A., & Xie, R. (2023). A hybrid sustainability performance measurement approach for fresh food cold supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 398, 136466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136466
Lv, H., Wang, C., He, D., Zhao, H., Zhao, M., Xu, E., Jin, Z., Yuan, C., Guo, L., Wu, Z., Liu, P., & Cui, B. (2024). Intelligent food tag: A starch-anthocyanin-based pH-sensitive electrospun nanofiber mat for real-time food freshness monitoring. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 256, 128384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128384
Lvova, L. (2016). Electronic Tongue Principles and applications in the food industry. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 151–160). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-800243-8.00015-9
Manaf, N. H. A. (2012). Inpatient satisfaction: an analysis of Malaysian public hospitals. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 25(1), 6–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513551211200258
Manaf, N. H. A., & Nooi, P. S. (2007). Patient satisfaction as an indicator of service quality in Malaysian public hospitals. Asian Journal on Quality, 8(3), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1108/15982688200700028
Miyoba, N., & Ogada, I. (2019). Diet satisfaction and associated factors among adult surgical orthopedic inpatients at a teaching hospital in Lusaka province, Zambia; a hospital-based cross-sectional study. BMC Nutrition, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-019-0288-5
Momoh, O. (2023, October 26). Population definition in statistics and how to measure it. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/population.asp
Osman, N. S., Nor, N. M., Sharif, M. S. M., Hamid, S. B. A., & Rahamat, S. (2021). Hospital Food Service Strategies to Improve Food Intakes among Inpatients: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 13(10), 3649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103649
Pawar P. A. & Purwar A. H. (2005). HACCP in Retail and Food Service Operations. Retrieved on October 17, 2015 from www.ijesi.org/papers/Vol%202(10)/version- 2/H02102050066.pdf
Piciocchi, C., Lobefaro, S., Luisi, F., Miraglia, L., Romito, N., Luneia, R., Foti, S., Mocini, E., Poggiogalle, E., Lenzi, A., & Donini, L. M. (2021). Innovative cooking techniques in a hospital food service: Effects on the quality of hospital meals. Nutrition, 93, 111487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2021.111487
Poorani, A. A., Kline, S. F., DeMicco, F. J., & Sullivan, W. (2023). Hospitality to healthcare: Patient Experience Academy, a successful alliance between the ChristianaCare Health System and the University of Delaware. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 112, 103422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103422
Roisin. (2023). Food Freshness Indicators | Senoptica.com. https://senoptica.com/food-freshness-indicators/
Sa’uadi, M. I., Peng, L., Halim, S. A., & Abdullah, J. M. (2023). Bedside examination technique for taste. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Science, 30(4), 207–212. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2023.30.4.17
Sa?d?ç, B. Ç., Bozkul, G., & Karahan, S. (2024). Experiences, difficulties and coping methods of female nurses caring for breast cancer surgery patients: A qualitative study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 69, 102511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102511
Speth, U. S., König, D., Burg, S., Gosau, M., & Friedrich, R. E. (2023). Evaluation of the sense of taste and smell in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Journal of Stomatology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Journal of Stomatology Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 124(1), 101271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jormas.2022.08.014
Tan PC, Kartik B, Thanendran P, Zakaria R, Win ST, Omar SZ. Taste, smell and food-related nausea and vomiting responses in hyperemesis gravidarum: A case-controlled study. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 10;10(1):4445. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61114-y. PMID: 32157169; PMCID: PMC7064589.
Tanner, D. J. (2016). Impacts of storage on food quality. In Elsevier eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.03479-x
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
Teka, M., Dihar, G., Dana, T., Asnake, G., Wakgari, N., Bonger, Z., & Binu, W. (2022). Satisfaction with regular hospital food services and associated factors among adult patients in Wolaita zone, Ethiopia: A facility-based cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 17(3), e0264163. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264163
Trinca, V., Iraniparast, M., Morrison?Koechl, J., Duizer, L., & Keller, H. (2021). Hospital Food Experience Questionnaire (HFEQ): Reliable, valid and predicts food intake in adult patients. Clinical Nutrition, 40(6), 4011–4021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2021.04.041
Wang, X., McClements, D. J., Xu, Z., Meng, M., Qiu, C., Long, J., Jin, Z., & Chen, L. (2023). Recent advances in the optimization of the sensory attributes of fried foods: Appearance, flavor, and texture. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 138, 297–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2023.06.012
Wilandh, E., Josefsson, M. S., Osowski, C. P., & Sydner, Y. M. (2024). Better Hospital Foodservice – aspects highlighted in research published 2000-2023: A Scoping Review. Clinical Nutrition Open Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutos.2024.01.001
Younes, S. (2024). The impact of micronutrients on the sense of taste. Human Nutrition & Metabolism, 35, 200231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hnm.2023.200231
Published
2025-03-29
How to Cite
Marzuki, S. N. B., Zainal, N. S., Abdullah, S. N. D., Selamat, H., & Ahmad Shariff, S. N. F. (2025). Factors Influencing Patients’ Satisfaction with Meals Served at Hospitals in Malaysia. Information Management and Business Review, 17(1(I)S), 178-185. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v17i1(I)S.4442
Issue
Section
Research Paper
Copyright (c) 2025 Siti Nur Batrisyia Marzuki, Nur Safiyyah Zainal, Siti Noraisah Dolah Abdullah, Hawaliana Selamat, Siti Nor Fadillah Ahmad Shariff
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.
