Fresh, tasty and healthy food contributes significantly to the well-being of patients, especially in hospitals. Long gone are the days when hospital catering had the reputation of being dull and of rather modest quality. Nowadays, patients have the choice between different menus and different side dishes, in addition to a varied range of breakfast and dinner. In addition, the hospitals take account of religious dietary requirements and personal preferences such as a vegetarian diet. More and more hospitals are also offering services such as a public cafeteria or "meals on wheels".

Given the large number of meals that have to be provided every day - in each case prepared according to different nutrition plans for full balanced diets, light and dietary foods and taking into account individual food intolerances - this diversity represents an organizational challenge that should not be underestimated. The preparation of the meals and the distribution to the individual patients is time-consuming and staff-intensive, and is always carried out under time pressure. Not least of all, it has to be ensured that the costs stay within the specified budget.

Without supporting software, the nursing staff on the ward have to take note of the food orders in paper form and then forward them to the kitchen. This delivery process is not only time-consuming and staff-intensive, it is also susceptible to errors. For example, meals can be mixed up or medical orders and patient requests can be forgotten. Patient discharges, relocations and changes in nutritional needs can also easily lead to unnecessary or incorrect food deliveries on a significant scale.

Digital processing of meal orders saves time and money

Digital process support creates an intelligent interface between the patient and the hospital kitchen - the kitchen is brought directly to the bed by means of a monitor or tablet. In this way, catering management can be fundamentally optimized. The quality of patient care is improved, administrative costs are lowered, and performance rises at the same time.
NEXUS / FOODCARE and NEXUS / FOODCARE MOBILE provide hospitals with a high-performance, intuitive catering management system.

The advantages at a glance:

• Patients can order the meals they want directly from their beds. Personal preferences and dietary requirements can be taken into account, as can the required location and time of delivery.
• The order goes directly to the place where the food is prepared - in the kitchen or at the supplier's. An automated system ensures that the right meal is served in the right place at the right time. All orders are recorded precisely for later accounts settlement.
• The system automatically prints a label for each meal ordered, on which the requested dishes and side orders are listed for each patient. If the patient does not place an order, an empty label is printed so that the kitchen staff know that there is no technical error.
• NEXUS / FOODCARE can be customized. To make it easier for patients to choose what to eat, the descriptions of the dishes can also be illustrated, for example. In addition, further offers, such as snacks or drinks, can be included in the ordering system.
• All ingredients in the food are clearly shown. This is in direct compliance with EU Regulation No. 1169/2011. Furthermore, the patient is only shown menus that suit their personal circumstances.
• NEXUS / FOODCARE is fully integrated in NEXUS / HIS, but can also be implemented in any other hospital information system.