Seminar/Oral Presentation 43rd National Hospitality in Healthcare Conference

Background
Healthcare foodservice systems face increasing pressure to deliver safe, high-quality, cost-effective services while responding to rising demand and operational costs. At STARS (Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service), a fully digital hospital in Brisbane, Dietetics and Food Services work in close partnership, leveraging integrated digital systems to enhance operational efficiency, financial sustainability, and patient-centred nutrition care while maintaining a strong focus on hospitality and service excellence.

Methods / Digital Innovations
STARS has embedded a suite of digital innovations across foodservice systems, designed collaboratively by Dietetics and Food Services:

• Upgrading to a Digital Cloud Based Menu Management System, Illumia NetMenu, to supporting food services and nutrition care
• Data-driven forecasting and production using historical intake data to optimise meal volumes and reduce waste.
• End-to-end digital ordering and receiving enabling accurate cost tracking and streamlined procurement.
• Patient meal ordering technology via Patient Engagement System (PES), bedside devices, and mobile application, including on-demand mid-meals.
• Digital intake tracking and analytics to monitor nutrition intake, plate waste, and patient satisfaction.
• Dining room analytics to monitor attendance and inform targeted engagement strategies.
• Food service orientation video (PES) providing patients with accessible, on-demand information about foodservice options.
• SharePoint platform for team communication, governance, and document access.
• Digital food safety system using electronic forms and storage to improve accessibility, compliance, and audit readiness.
• Digital IDDSI audit and decision-support tool (REDCap) enabling real-time compliance monitoring and standardised responses.

These technologies are designed to enhance, not replace, customer service, enabling staff to deliver more personalised, responsive care. While digital platforms are widely available, maximising their value requires engagement of subject matter experts across food services, dietetics, the hospitality industry and clinical governance to ensure effective implementation and use.

Results / Outcomes
Digital integration strengthened financial management through improved cost visibility, reporting, and cost recovery. Despite rising food costs, fuel levies, and labour pressures, STARS remained within budget for 2025–2026 by using digital tools to monitor expenditure, identify waste, and drive efficiencies. These efficiencies enabled the introduction of chef specials and a thickened fluids coffee machine, enhancing menu variety and patient experience.

Data-driven forecasting reduced production waste and improved operational efficiency, while digital ordering systems enhanced responsiveness for patients and clinical teams. Intake tracking and analytics supported proactive nutrition management and provided insights into consumption, satisfaction, and waste trends. This enabled a shift from reactive to proactive service delivery, allowing teams to focus on continuous improvement and innovation, including the implementation of a new menu with more cook fresh options.

The digital IDDSI audit tool improved efficiency, consistency, and accessibility compared with previous manual processes, with strong potential for scalability across the health service.

Conclusion / Future Implications
The STARS model demonstrates how integrating digital systems and technology across Dietetics and Food Services can elevate healthcare foodservice delivery. By combining workforce expertise with digital capability, services can improve efficiency, financial sustainability, and patient-centred care. Future opportunities include expanding data analytics, scaling digital innovations, and enhancing hospitality-driven, technology-enabled foodservice models.