Kaiser Permanente to Study Expanded Nutritious Food Access with Instacart
- Collaboration between Kaiser Permanente and Instacart to study the impact of convenient access to nutritious food on health outcomes
- Kaiser Permanente connected over 170,000 members with community-based resources in 2022
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Evaluating the impact of nutritious food access on health outcomes and supporting social health
This work is part of Kaiser Permanente's comprehensive approach to improving the health of its members and patients by addressing the social health needs — such as secure housing, reliable transportation, and access to nutritious food — that contribute to overall well-being. In 2022, Kaiser Permanente connected more than 170,000 of its members with community-based resources to meet their social needs, and is on track to serve 400,000 members in 2023.
Lack of proper nutrition is the number one driver of poor health outcomes in the
Kaiser Permanente will provide participants with Instacart Health Fresh Funds, grocery stipends that can be used to purchase nutritious foods and pantry staples like fresh and frozen produce, legumes, plant-based oils, and spices, from a curated virtual storefront. Participants will have items delivered to their homes via Instacart.
This is Kaiser Permanente's latest addition to its Food Is Medicine portfolio, that includes building the evidence base for food-based interventions to treat and prevent diet-related disease. These efforts include support for medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, targeted to meet specific nutrition needs.
The study will measure the effects of providing funds to purchase nutritious groceries for Medi-Cal patients with diet-related diseases. It will measure blood sugar levels as compared to the usual standard of care, reported food and nutrition security, diet-related disease quality of life, patient readiness to change, and hospitalization or emergency department visits. The results will provide further evidence on the impact of Food Is Medicine on health and the health care industry.
The expansion of 1115 Medicaid waivers in states across the
"At Kaiser Permanente, we know that without access to nutritious food, individuals are less likely to stay healthy, increasing the likelihood of new and widening health disparities and health care costs," said Anand Shah, MD, vice president of social health at Kaiser Permanente. "This innovative study is one of the many avenues that we're pursuing to improve the health of our members and communities with diet-related diseases."
In 2022, Kaiser Permanente joined national leaders in food and nutrition at the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to discuss strategies to address the nation's food and diet-related challenges. Coinciding with the event, Kaiser Permanente announced a
"We're dedicated to addressing nutrition insecurity, and by leveraging our technology, significant reach, and retail partnerships, we can help families across the country get nutritious foods delivered through Instacart," said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of Instacart Health. "We know access can lead to better health outcomes, and we're proud to partner with Kaiser Permanente to demonstrate the positive impact that nutrition security and food as medicine can have on a patient's overall health and well-being."
"We know food and nutrition insecurity is felt by people in the communities we serve, as well as for by millions of Americans nationwide," said Pamela Schwartz, MPH, executive director of food security at Kaiser Permanente. "Identifying best practices to address these inequities is essential to building healthier communities."
Instacart partners with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery, and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the
For more information, contact:
Hilary Costa, hilary.c.costa@kp.org
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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente
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