When you’re admitted into a medical facility, the last thing you want to deal with is poor hospital room service. However, not all establishments pay attention to aspects such as hospital food service and other factors that can contribute to patient satisfaction.
Now, hospitals are becoming more aware of the fact that these slip-ups can encourage existing patients to seek future care elsewhere. One establishment that’s trying to turn this around is Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, KS., according to the Lawrence Journal-World.
Representatives from the hospital have announced that an initiative has been approved to institute a new patient meal plan by mid-2014. Currently, patients are asked to fill out a form that tells hospital staff when they want meals to be delivered at least a day in advance. In the future, the facility would like to make it so that patients can order meals on their own time, restaurant style, and have them delivered within the next 30 minutes. The food preparation process will also be streamlined by Unidine, a food service management company.
“We’re making this change because we really want to do something to demonstrate our commitment to fresh, healthy food,” Karen Shumate, the hospital’s chief operating officer, told the news source. “[Unidine doesn’t] believe in processed food. They do everything they can from scratch. They’re making everything from salad dressings to soup from scratch in our kitchens now.”
Incorporating technology into the solution
Whether your hospital has positive patient satisfaction scores or you think there’s room for improvement, investing in food service software can help you make positive adjustments. As the representatives from Lawrence Memorial Hospital note, they will need to incorporate software and other technology in order to carry out their new plan. The food menu will need to match up accordingly with patients’ specific medical needs.
However, there are other ways that hospital providers can boost patient satisfaction. For example, Physician’s Practice noted that staying in close contact with individuals during their stay can improve their overall experience. Keeping them in the loop pertaining to their situation and treatment can make them more likely to return in the future.
While it may not seem like patient satisfaction needs to be a priority, it’s essential to ensuring that a medical facility stays competitive. In the end, the happiness of patients can be the difference between full beds and empty ones.