Automated Patient-Centered Meal Planning for Dietary Management in Sri Lankan Public Hospitals: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Public hospitals in Sri Lanka predominantly rely on manual, paper-based dietary management workflows, which have been reported to be inefficient, error-prone, and limited in their capacity to support patient-centered nutrition. This situation contributes to operational inefficiencies and challenges in meeting individualized dietary requirements, particularly in resource-constrained healthcare settings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and relevance of automated patient-centered meal planning systems for dietary management in Sri Lankan public hospitals. A systematic review was conducted using a structured review-based framework to synthesise global evidence on hospital meal planning automation. Forty-two peer-reviewed studies from both high-income and low- and middle-income country contexts were analysed. The findings indicate that automated diet ordering, menu generation, ingredient forecasting, and optimization-based allocation are associated with reduced food waste, improved dietary accuracy, and faster workflow execution in most reviewed settings. The reviewed systems employ mathematical optimization techniques, rule-based decision mechanisms, and data-driven predictive models to support dietary planning and resource allocation. The review further identifies that successful adoption in Sri Lankan public hospitals would require low-cost technological solutions, locally relevant food and nutrition datasets, staff training, and phased implementation strategies. Overall, the findings suggest that automated patient-centered meal planning systems represent a feasible and contextually appropriate intervention to address both nutritional challenges and operational inefficiencies in Sri Lanka’s public healthcare sector.