Call to Order – Room Service Meal Delivery Model

The Call to Order, Room Service food delivery model is offered at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on its Maternal Child and Medical/Surgical units. Like its name implies, with Call to Order patients can order their meals by telephone from their hospital room anytime during the day. High levels of food waste with ‘day in advance’ menu selection, replacement trays and lower levels of patient satisfaction with meal services was the driving force behind changing the service. The need for a more patient-focused and flexible service was the goal. After conducting a literature review of food delivery models, surveying our patients and staff, and visiting three paediatric Canadian hospitals providing Room Service, Call to Order was introduced in May, 2011. A general ‘Call to Order’ menu was developed and is applicable for a wide range of diets from Regular to Dental Soft, and includes Diabetic and Heart Healthy Diets. An additional eight therapeutic and culturally appropriate Call to Order menus were also developed including: Very Low Sodium, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian & Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Paediatric and texture modified variations. The nursing team determines patient’s eligibility, and this information is entered in the diet order. Patients not able to participate via telephone may be assisted by a volunteer, diet technician or family member. Safeguards are put in place to ensure that no one from the general patient population misses more than one meal and high risk diet patients are not missing meals. In addition to increasing patient satisfaction (78% pre-room service to 96% post room service), Room Service eliminates the need for replacement trays, and helps reduce unnecessary waste (7% of total raw food cost expenditures, approximately $90,000 annually). With the successful implementation of this new model and patient demand from areas like Rehabilitation and Mental Health, the hospital will be expanding Call to Order in the spring of 2013.