By Teena Monteleone

Health region moves food system into 21st century

Dec 13, 2016 | 1:00 PM

Safer for patients and more efficient for staff. That’s the result of new food services software being used by the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region.

“Before, we handwrote all of the diet cards that went on each patient tray. To give you an idea, that would be 800 to 900 cards per day that the diet clerks would write out,” Darci Climenhaga, Director of Nutrition and Food Services said.

Those manual processes created inefficiencies and increased the risk of errors in preparing meals for patients with allergies.

“It is quite easy to miss something when it is handwritten or oral communication,” Climenhaga explained. “This way, there is 100 percent assurance that when it is entered into the system, it comes to us and we will not provide that allergen.”

The new system, called ‘Computrition,’ also frees up time for diet clerks to interact more with patients allowing them to keep track of likes, dislikes or nutritional requirements, including special diets.

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Climenhaga added, “Ideally, this helps patients maximize their nutrition intake while reducing waste of patients receiving food they don’t want.” 

The health region will depend on the new software to keep track of inventory and cost, helping to eliminate even more waste. With this system, dietitians can track patients who may not be eating for an extended period of time.  That information could be relayed to a physician who could then consider alternate forms of nutrition. Also, the patient would be flagged for a required follow up. 

Climenhaga said patient feedback has been positive. 

“They are happy their preferences are being noticed,” he said.

Currently, the ‘Computrition’ system is being used at the Victoria Hospital, and the Herb Basset and Mont St. Joseph’s long term care facilities. 

teena.monteleone@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TeenaMonteleone