Visual Plate Waste in Hospitalized Patients: Length of Stay and Diet Order

The purpose of this pilot research was to investigate the effect of diet order, sex, diagnosis, and length of stay on visual lunch plate waste in hospitalized patients. Information on 346 patients was collected using the computer program CBORD Diet Office. Visual plate waste during lunch was measured and analyzed for 4 consecutive days. Neither sex nor diagnosis at admittance was associated with visual plate waste. However, the odds of visual plate waste increased by 14.1% for every day a patient was admitted. In patients receiving a diabetic diet order, odds of visual plate waste decreased by 61.2%, indicating there was reduction in plate waste. Conversely, in patients receiving altered consistency diet orders, odds of visual plate waste increased by 344%, signifying a rise in plate waste. Due to an increase of visual plate waste associated with long length of stay and altered consistency diet orders, registered dietitians working in acute-care facilities need to develop strategies to create cost-effective, nutritionally balanced, altered consistency diets that would enhance patient acceptance and consumption of food.