Details:

Alternative Title:
Prev Chronic Dis
Publisher's site:
http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd14.170343
Personal Author:
Lundeen, Elizabeth A. ; Siegel, Karen R. ; Calhoun, Holly ; Kim, Sonia A. ; Garcia, Sandra P. ; ... More +
Lundeen, Elizabeth A. ; Siegel, Karen R. ; Calhoun, Holly ; Kim, Sonia A. ; Garcia, Sandra P. ; Hoeting, Natalie M. ; Harris, Diane M. ; Khan, Laura Kettel ; Smith, Bryce ; Blanck, Heidi M. ; Barnett, Kevin ; Haddix, Anne C. Less -
Description:
Introduction

More than 42 million people in the United States are food insecure. Although some health care entities are addressing food insecurity among patients because of associations with disease risk and management, little is known about the components of these initiatives.

Methods

The Systematic Screening and Assessment Method was used to conduct a landscape assessment of US health care entity–based programs that screen patients for food insecurity and connect them with food resources. A network of food insecurity researchers, experts, and practitioners identified 57 programs, 22 of which met the inclusion criteria of being health care entities that 1) screen patients for food insecurity, 2) link patients to food resources, and 3) target patients including adults aged 50 years or older (a focus of this assessment). Data on key features of each program were abstracted from documentation and telephone interviews.

Results

Most programs (n = 13) focus on patients with chronic disease, and most (n = 12) partner with food banks. Common interventions include referrals to or a list of food resources (n = 19), case managers who navigate patients to resources (n = 15), assistance with federal benefit applications (n = 14), patient education and skill building (n = 13), and distribution of fruit and vegetable vouchers redeemable at farmers markets (n = 8). Most programs (n = 14) routinely screen all patients.

Conclusion

The programs reviewed use various strategies to screen patients, including older adults, for food insecurity and to connect them to food resources. Research is needed on program effectiveness in improving patient outcomes. Such evidence can be used to inform the investments of potential stakeholders, including health care entities, community organizations, and insurers.


Subject:
[+]
Data Collection
Food Assistance
Food Supply
Humans
Needs Assessment
Poverty
Risk Factors

Source:
Prev Chronic Dis. 14.
Pubmed ID:
29144894
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC5695644
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
United States
Collection(s):
Preventing Chronic Disease
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:50965d2dba4b847d8382968669dd03845e67c6c5f4b00465fcd6a3f8078e13d1
File Type:

Supporting Files

• PCD-14-E113.nxml

  xml

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