Instacart, Foodsmart discover significant clinical outcomes in diet-related conditions

Instacart and Foodsmart, a telenutrition provider, released a detailed white paper showcasing results from their partnership over the past two years, including significant positive health outcomes for thousands of people living with obesity and diabetes.

Lack of access to nutrition is the leading driver of poor health outcomes, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, poor nutrition and related diseases account for most illness, disability and death in the United States. Poor diet also is the leading driver of healthcare costs, and 85% of all healthcare spending is related to the management of diet-related chronic disease – costing roughly $1.1 trillion each year, Instacart noted.

Effective, scalable solutions that acknowledge the critical link between nutrition and health need to be integrated into healthcare delivery. As treatments like GLP-1s expand, experts recognize the effectiveness of these medications but also assert that sustained improvements in health depend on long-term dietary and behavioral changes. These changes are crucial for members living with diabetes and obesity to improve their health, whether as part of a lifestyle shift or to complement medication, Instacart said.

Northwell Health partners with Instacart to expand access to nutritious food for patients, staff

Offered to members of health plans including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid, the Foodsmart and Instacart program combines FoodSMART telenutrition services with medically tailored groceries via Instacart. Members receive Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipends to purchase dietitian-recommended foods from their preferred local grocery store on Instacart. 

Instacart today reaches more than 98% of U.S. households, including 93% of those located in food deserts. The joint program provides a scalable and personalized solution for members with chronic diseases by offering the tools, education and support needed to make lasting behavior changes that lead to health improvements.

Health plan members that participated in the joint program saw enhancements in nutrition and dietary habits, improved diabetes management and sustained weight loss, across thousands of member interactions over a two-year period. Of the more than 18,500 members included in this retrospective analysis who utilized the combined power of Foodsmart with Instacart, results included:

• Enhanced Diabetes Management: 52.9% of members with diabetes who combined telenutrition and Instacart saw a clinically significant 0.5% reduction in Hemoglobin A1c (a key marker of diabetes management), compared to 43.2% for telenutrition-only participants.
• Weight Loss that Sustains: Adding medically-tailored groceries through Instacart increased the likelihood of a member to achieve 5%+ in weight loss by nearly 50%. At 21 months, 47.1% of members living with obesity who participated in both programs achieved at least 5% weight loss, compared to 32.1% of those using only telenutrition services. 
• Better Nutrition Habits: Participants combining telenutrition and grocery delivery saw an 8.6% improvement in nutrition scores, compared to a 3.3% improvement in those using telenutrition alone.

[Watch DSN: Instacart Health leverages nutrition to help consumers lead healthier lives]

• Impactful Increase in Engagement: Members using both telenutrition and Instacart's online grocery services nearly doubled their program engagement, compared to those using telenutrition services alone, suggesting that combining telenutrition and Instacart not only boosts engagement but may also promote better interactions with dietitians.

"Clinical outcomes from Foodsmart's partnership with Instacart demonstrate the powerful role that medically tailored groceries and accessible delivery can play in healthcare," said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of health at Instacart. "Through Foodsmart's program, Instacart provides access to medically-tailored nutritious food delivered from trusted local grocers, empowering members with the tools to make more informed choices, sustain healthy habits and improve their health over the long term."

"The partnership between Instacart and Foodsmart is one of the largest demonstrations of how comprehensive Foodcare can equitably lower chronic disease outcomes and healthcare costs at scale across the United States," said Jason Langheier, CEO and founder of Foodsmart. "Everyone in America should have easy access to a primary care dietitian, like those provided by FoodSMART telenutrition, so families have a trusted partner to set up the Foodcare environment that supports their long-term well-being and helps them navigate behavior change in a sustainable way. Instacart's enablement of online grocery shopping and Fresh Funds subsidies reaching nearly every household in the U.S. gives every American and their dietitian the opportunity to fundamentally change their lives for the long run."

To learn more about the program's impact on nutrition, weight management, and diabetes control, download the full white paper here.