Implementing Food as Medicine During COVID-19: Produce Prescriptions and Integrative Group Medical Visits in Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Background: Food as Medicine is a rapidly developing area of health care in the United States, aimed at concurrently addressing nutrition-sensitive chronic conditions and food and nutrition insecurity. Recipe4Health (R4H) is a Food as Medicine program with an integrative health equity focus. It prov...

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Publicado en:Global Advances in Integrative Medicine & Health Vol. 14; pp. 1 - 16
Autores principales: Thompson-Lastad, Ariana, Ruvalcaba, Denise, Chen, Wei-Ting, Espinosa, Patricia Rodriguez, Chiu, Dorothy T., Xiao, Lan, Rosas, Lisa G., Chen, Steven
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. 2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Implementing Food as Medicine During COVID-19: Produce Prescriptions and Integrative Group Medical Visits in Federally Qualified Health Centers.
      aug:
        au:
          Thompson-Lastad, Ariana
          Ruvalcaba, Denise
          Chen, Wei-Ting
          Espinosa, Patricia Rodriguez
          Chiu, Dorothy T.
          Xiao, Lan
          Rosas, Lisa G.
          Chen, Steven
        affil: Osher Center for Integrative Health, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Chronic Disease Therapy
          Food Security
          Food Assistance
          Models, Theoretical Evaluation
          Implementation Science
          Program Implementation
          Shared Medical Appointments
          Hospitals, Federal
          COVID-19 Pandemic
          Human
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Aged
          Male
          Female
          California
          Funding Source
          Multimethod Studies
          Prospective Studies
          Conceptual Framework
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Thematic Analysis
          Descriptive Statistics
          Race Factors
          Ethnic Groups
          Native Americans
          Alaska Natives
          Pacific Islanders
          African Americans
          Hispanic Americans
          Telehealth
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Food as Medicine is a rapidly developing area of health care in the United States, aimed at concurrently addressing nutrition-sensitive chronic conditions and food and nutrition insecurity. Recipe4Health (R4H) is a Food as Medicine program with an integrative health equity focus. It provides prescriptions for locally grown produce ('Food Farmacy') with or without integrative group medical visits, alongside training for clinic staff. Objectives: To describe the initial implementation of R4H in four Federally Qualified Health Centers in Northern California, using a convergent mixed-methods approach. Methods: We used the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) implementation science framework to assess the first two years of R4H (2020-2022). We draw from 40 interviews (26 partner organization staff, 14 patients) and program data on reach and adoption. Qualitative data were analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. Results: Reach : From January 2020 to August 2022, 3255 patients were referred to the program; 1997 of those referred (61%) enrolled in the Food Farmacy only (N = 1681) or Food Farmacy + integrative group medical visits (N = 316). Participating patients included a wide range of ages (mean age 41.4, [SD 20]; 18% < 18 years old) and racial and ethnic backgrounds (3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 6% Asian or Pacific Islander, 19% Black, 57% Hispanic/Latine, 7% white). 69% were female; 43% primarily spoke Spanish. Adoption : 84% of trained clinic staff referred two or more patients to R4H. Implementation : Elements of successful implementation included: (1) support from county government leadership, (2) centralized coordination of the multi-sector partnership, and (3) a flexible approach responsive to organizational and COVID-related shifts. R4H implementation informed statewide Medicaid policy changes. Maintenance : To date, all four clinics continue to participate in R4H. Conclusion: Centralized implementation, training, and administration of Food as Medicine programs can strengthen community health centers' capacities to concurrently address chronic conditions and food insecurity. Multi-sector partnerships can support Food as Medicine program sustainability.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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