I don’t see this as a case of pandering to patient satisfaction. It seems more like an example of process improvement. (Although I’m a little surprised that no one anticipated this problem – maybe the real issue here was inadequate planning rather than unintended consequences?)

Room service isn’t just about patient satisfaction either. It cuts down drastically on food waste when meals can be delivered when the patient is ready to eat, vs. at three predetermined times during the day. I mean, we’ve all experienced hospital stays when the surgery is delayed for hours, or the patient has to be taken out of their room for a procedure, or the patient isn’t feeling well enough to eat, and meanwhile that noon lunch tray sits there, uneaten, getting cold and unappetizing and eventually has to be thrown into the garbage. It costs money and it all adds up.