Clinical Dietetics

Optimizing Processes With
Patient Nutrition Software

Optimizing Processes With Patient Nutrition Software

Clinical Dietetics Role

SNAPSHOT

RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage nutrition services

Help ensure patients are
properly nourished

Enhance patient dining

PAIN POINTS SOLVED

Need for real-time patient
information

Identify diet order conflicts

Treat malnutrition

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COMPUTRITION HELPS YOU

Eliminate manual processes

Increase patient satisfaction

Safeguard patients

RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage nutrition services

Help ensure patients are
properly nourished

Enhance patient dining

PAIN POINTS SOLVED

Need for real-time patient
information

Identify diet order conflicts

Treat malnutrition

A yellow icon of a hand cradling people.

COMPUTRITION
HELPS YOU

Eliminate manual processes

Increase patient satisfaction

Safeguard patients

Registered Dietitians, Dietetic Technicians, and Patient Nutrition Managers know firsthand how the nutrition care process impacts
the patient’s experience and influences the overall performance
of the hospital. Lacking in operational efficiencies
because of manual processes makes it challenging for clinical dietetics professionals to track patient nutrition information,
and places patients’ safety at risk due to the inaccuracy of food-related data.

Registered Dietitians, Dietetic Technicians, and Patient Nutrition Managers know firsthand how the nutrition care process impacts the patient’s experience and influences the overall performance of the hospital. Lacking in operational efficiencies because of manual processes makes it challenging for clinical dietetics professionals to track patient nutrition information, and places patients’ safety at risk due to the inaccuracy of food-related data.

With patient nutrition software, nutrition services can:

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manage
data

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store critical information

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effectively
communicate

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deliver optimal
dining experience

A top-down shot of a clinical dietetic staff wearing gloves and spoon-feeding an elderly male patient in bed.

Automating Nutrition Care

Automation streamlines nutrition care processes by providing real-time patient information to assure patients are adequately fed. Interoperability between patient nutrition software and electronic health records minimizes data entry and reduces errors.

In addition, utilizing integrated technology creates the foundation for departments to implement patient satisfiers like room service, bedside ordering, and patient engagement meal ordering systems, which improve the dining experience and eliminate the need for printed menus, thereby reducing printing and paper costs, and increasing efficiencies.

Clinical dietetics staff can also further reduce costs by using automation to proactively combat known issues like malnutrition, which is costly in many ways for both patients, in terms of outcomes, as well as the organization, as readmissions and subsequent financial penalties affect the bottom line. By using patient food intake reports, staff can accurately assess nutrient intake, identify the degree of malnutrition, and provide patients with the intervention needed to help improve their condition.

Patient Safety and Satisfaction

Delivering safe and high-quality care to patients is crucial. Automation empowers nutrition services with features that can trigger alerts, customize tray tickets, and modify menus to guarantee the food served is appropriate for the patient’s existing diet order.

With patient nutrition software, food preferences and allergies can be electronically recorded, preventing the selection of foods that are inappropriate for the patient’s diet, thereby helping to assure patient safety. Advanced features, like SmartSubstitutions, automatically chooses patient-desired recipes as substitutes for items not allowed on patient menus due to diet restrictions, dislikes, or allergies.

Having an on-demand meal ordering system allows patients to order the food they want at the time they want, improving the dining experience, decreasing food waste, and ultimately increasing patient satisfaction scores. Additionally, tray delivery technology helps identify and resolve food-related issues to ensure the right patient receives the right food within a reasonable time.

"The menu delivery and completion process was standardized and the return rate of completed menus rose to over 80%, meaning patients are now receiving food that they chose that is compliant to their diet."

Legacy Health System

A little girl with a bandaged left hand is looking down at her hospital tray, which holds a plate of meat and veggies.

Nutrition Analysis

Having access to real-time patient data provides clinical dietetics staff with the reporting capabilities to do outcomes research and nutrition process analysis. Essentially, these tools drive cost-effective decision-making and regulate the supply chain.

No need to spend countless hours manually analyzing menus from scratch to determine recipe costs. Running menu analysis reports quickly provides the needed information to determine which menus meet nutrition standards and which need to be revised. Additionally, staff can print census data with ease to obtain actual counts, predict trends, and justify labor expense.

Implementing technology in nutrition services not only streamline the daily workflow for clinical dietetics staff but also helps to provide quality care to patients – fulfilling hospital-wide goals!

see it in action!

Take a look at additional resources to find out how patient nutrition software will streamline your nutrition services operation - producing the highest levels of: