MenuMate for on-ward meal orders Throughout 2005, Datasym have been working with Bournemouth University on the development of an on-ward system for the collection of patient meal orders in hospitals. Datasym are the UK leaders in this field having installed the country’s first menu scanning system in 1979 and having led the development of specialist software for hospital caterers since that time. MenuMate provides handheld devices (presently the HP iPAQ or tablet PC) for use by ward staff in the collection of patient meal orders. Immediate, printed confirmation of the order can be given if required. Once entered, the orders are transmitted to the Catering Department using a range of technologies according to what is available on the ward. Wireless networking will send data immediately. The hospital network can be used if the handheld can be connected to the ward PC. If the hospital offers no facilities in this respect, the handhelds would need to be returned to Catering but even here, the data would be transferred to the Catering PC with virtually no work by staff.

Once data has reached the Catering office PC, Datasym’s Menumark software will generate production lists, trolley sheets etc. just as if orders had been scanned or entered by hand. Additionally, Menumark can produce reports of individual orders for plated meal service or for use at ward level once the meals are delivered. Costings, takeup histories and all the usual excellent Menumark features are all there – the only difference has been the way in which the orders got into the system!

The benefits of this approach are huge: · A substantial improvement in the overall patient experience · Very little staff input required in the Catering office. Minimal data entry at this point – just reports to print. This will give savings in staff costs · Because of the above, the lead time on patient meal orders can be substantially reduced. It is well known that this reduces over-ordering and can bring major savings. Plate waste can also be entered at ward level, allowing Menumark to produce informative reports. · Data can be amended if a patient is moved or discharged · Individual patient menus are not required – resulting in savings of several thousands of pounds per year for many hospitals · This is the first time individual patient orders have been recorded and the implications are enormous. Meal histories can be used in checking any food-related medical issues; nutritional analysis of patient intake becomes possible; menu engineering can be extended to combinations of dish choices rather than just single dishes and costings can be calculated for particular patients as well as for whole wards. No doubt further potential will be revealed as the system is put to use. MenuMate completion and release: MenuMate development has been planned in two phases. Phase one includes all of the basic features required for a working system including routines for entry and editing of patient information; entry of meal orders and basic checking of diet permissions; links to Menumark and all necessary reporting. Phase one will undergo beta testing from January 2006 and will be fully operational by February/March 2006 Phase two will be developed during 2006. It will include a selection of portion sizes; provision for between-meals ordering; the recording of wastage; link to at least one nutritional package; recording of patient allergies/checking suitability of dishes ordered and, finally, input routines and reporting for patient satisfaction questionnaires. Phase two will undergo beta testing from January 2007 and will be fully operational by February/March 2007 Please contact us now if you would like to take part in the beta testing trials currently scheduled for January 2006.   More information info@datasym.co.uk