Hotel Style Room Service in Healthcare

Application of Hotel-Style Room Service in Healthcare

Janice D. Barnard

Texas A&M Commerce

Abstract

Food and nutrition services in healthcare are important factors in the overall health status and quality of life in patients and residents. Most healthcare facilities currently use the cold-plating re-thermalized system of pre-made meals delivered during certain hours to each patient/resident. As a solution to lower food costs and increase patient/resident satisfaction, some facilities are researching other meal delivery systems. Hotel-style room service foodservice or “culture change” is a meal delivery system that creates cooked-to-order meals from a restaurant type menu, delivered to the patient/resident when they want it. This article discusses the features of hotel-style room service foodservice in healthcare; the process to research and implement; potential barriers and “best practices.”

Application of Hotel-Style Room Service in Healthcare

Healthcare foodservice affects every resident in a healthcare facility. The condition and delivery style of food can have an important impact on the health and satisfaction of the resident and family because of the role food plays in everyone’s daily lives. A patient’s overall satisfaction in their stay is largely influenced by foodservice quality (McLymont, Sharon, Stell, 2003). Previous studies have shown strong associations between the increased risk of additional health problems among the patients including the elderly and nutritional intake deficits while hospitalized (Sullivan, Suns, Walls 1999). Nutritional intake is a critical element in recovery causing the study of healthcare foodservice to be of great value. Administrators are also being pushed to come up with innovative and customer-orientated methods to improve patient foodservice satisfaction because of competition in the healthcare industry (Goehring, 2002; Kizer, 2001). To remain competitive in the healthcare industry,...