Patient room service is a major driver for food and nutrition automation in the global healthcare industry today. Precision coordination of menus, patient diet orders, allergies, food production counts, patient locations, rapid-fire communications, and high-level responsiveness could not happen without computer technology. Patient room service puts “hospitality” into hospitals and happiness into hospital food.
In hospitals, room service leverages these key advantages:
- A major uptick in patient satisfaction ratings for hospital food service. Patients who are in control of their menu choices and meal times are measurably more satisfied.
- Food cost savings. Extra meal trays and unwanted food items (that the patient didn’t order) are now automatically eliminated.
- Improved meal accuracy, as each tray is prepared to personalized specifications using the most current diet order.
- Reduced staffing load for nursing.
- The opportunity for increased revenue through guest trays for family and visitors.
- A boost in employee morale for food service workers, who may dress the part, enjoy more patient contact, and receive the praise of patients.
- An improvement in the patient experience, which reflects upon image and marketing value for the institution.
While hospital room service may take on many forms, a typical room service system:
- Allows patients to order meals when they are ready to eat, much like a hotel room service model.
- Operates within a prescribed time frame, e.g., 6 AM to 7 PM.
- Provides rapid turnaround and in-room delivery of individual patient meal orders.
- Serves fresher food with better quality and temperature control.
- Allows patients to select all meal items that will be served, including entrees, sides, beverages, and desserts—within the constraints of the diet order and limitations related to food allergy or medication regimens.
- Features a perpetual room service menu with a variety of selections suitable for personal tastes and health-related dining needs
The Vision Software Patient Room Service system provides comprehensive solutions for room service implementation and service level enhancements.
by Tracey Turnquist, Director of Marketing and Sales, Vision Software