Praia Health hosted a LinkedIn Live discussion on September 25, 2024 on the topic of orchestrating the food-as-medicine experience.
Scott North, VP of Partnerships at Praia Health, hosted a distinguished group of healthcare leaders who explored how food is increasingly recognized as a critical part of patient care.
Panelists included Krista Canton from Foodsmart, Aaron Doades from Swap Health, and Morgan Flannery from Season Health, who shared their insights on delivering nutrition-focused healthcare services. They explored innovative approaches to making personalized nutritional care accessible, affordable, and scalable, particularly for underserved populations.
The concept of "Food as Medicine" is gaining traction due to its proven benefits in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. The discussion revolved around the operational challenges and strategies involved in scaling these services, including partnerships with healthcare providers, payers, and food retailers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Personalized Nutrition Care: Each organization provides patients with tailored diet plans that align with their medical needs. For example, Season Health matches patients with registered dietitians to deliver personalized care and create custom nutrition plans. These plans take into account not only health conditions like diabetes or chronic kidney disease but also personal factors such as cooking skills, food preferences, and budget.
- Engaging Underserved Populations: Food as Medicine organizations are dedicated to reaching Medicaid and underserved populations, traditionally harder to engage in healthcare. Their strategies include community events, direct provider referrals, and leveraging texts and flyers to connect with patients. By meeting these patients where they are, they foster trust and improve engagement in nutrition-based health interventions.
- Technology-Enabled Solutions: Technology plays a crucial role in enabling and scaling food-as-medicine programs. Foodsmart's app, for example, helps patients build meal plans, connect with grocers, and even track and compare prices to stretch their food budgets. These tools, along with custom-built EMR systems, help ensure smooth patient interactions and track social determinants of health.
- Partnerships with Healthcare Systems and Payers: To scale these programs, the panelists highlighted the importance of collaborating with healthcare systems and payers. Swap Health integrates its services with primary and specialty care providers, while Foodsmart partners with over 80,000 grocers to help patients access nutritious food. Moreover, new payment models that bundle medical nutrition therapy with food subsidies are emerging, particularly in the Medicaid space.
- Focus on Measurable Outcomes: Measuring the success of food-as-medicine programs is critical. Each company tracks key health outcomes such as reductions in A1C levels for diabetic patients or weight loss for those managing obesity. They also study healthcare utilization and cost savings to demonstrate the effectiveness of these services to payers and providers, with data showing significant improvements in clinical outcomes and healthcare savings.
By integrating food with traditional medical care, these organizations are transforming the healthcare landscape, demonstrating how personalized nutrition can lead to better patient outcomes and long-term cost savings.
