Breakfast at Bedside: An Innovative Approach to Quality Service, Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness

Abstract

The health care system today is faced with numerous challenges that impacts all aspects of service delivery in a hospital. In this time of change and transition, there is a continued pressure to contain cost but maintaining the quality of service to patients. In a recent effort to meet this challenge, a 350-bed primary care community hospital initiated an innovative program to serve breakfast in an efficient and cost effective way. The Breakfast at Bedside program was introduced. This process replaced the traditional trayline food system whereby food is produced then transferred to steamtables and cold servers around a conveyor belt. A checker and a loader then finalizes the process prior to tray distribution in the Nursing units. This system requires 7 food service workers with a time expenditure of up to 2 hours to complete the process. This new and innovative breakfast service has replaced the traditional system by eliminating the whole trayline lineup so that meals, after production are transferred directly to a mobile “Camcruiser”. This thermal compartment cart is wheeled to the patient's bedside eliminating numerous steps and reduces breakfast service time dramatically. A systematic evaluation of this system has shown positive outcomes in terms of patient satisfaction, efficiency, quality and significant cost savings. Qualitative and quantitative information will be presented.