The current meal delivery system at The Hospital for Sick Children is a cold‐plating tray delivery system. Our goal was to determine the effect of a room service model on satisfaction, food costs/waste and macronutrient intake in an inpatient paediatric setting. A prospective cross‐sectional study of inpatients (n = 54) was studied over 6 days, 3 days under the current system and 3 days under the pilot model. A satisfaction questionnaire was used to assess satisfaction, and tray tickets were used to assess food costs/waste and dietary intake. With room service, satisfaction increased (P < 0.05), food costs decreased at breakfast and lunch (P < 0.05), and reductions in waste occurred at all meals (P < 0.05). There was an increase in energy, protein, carbohydrate and fat intake (P < 0.05) during lunch. Piloting a room service model in an acute‐care paediatric centre resulted in increased satisfaction, improved dietary intake and reduced food costs and waste, resulting in hospital‐wide implementation.
Patient food service is an important component in the nutritional management of hospitalized children. The previous meal delivery system at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto was a cold-plating re-thermalized system. Issues related to this model included order lead time, the reheating process, menu selection, and service style. Research into other systems led us toward room service, an innovative and flexible mode of meal delivery. Transformation to room service occurred over one year, and included implementation of a new computer system, kitchen renovation, redesign of menus and a new meal delivery system called Meal Train, and changes to human resource allocations. Throughout the transformation, consultations were held with key stakeholders, including the children's council, the family advisory, the nursing council, and a multidisciplinary committee involving nursing staff, dietitians, patient service aides, infection control personnel, occupational health employees, patient representatives, and food services staff. Now, Meal Train is running smoothly, and meal days and food costs have been reduced. Others considering a project like this must know their clients' needs and be willing to think outside the box. They should familiarize themselves with current information on systems and equipment, consult with key stakeholders within their organization, and then create the system that will work for them.
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