Boston Children's Hospital has launched a virtual food pharmacy with the help of Instacart Health, which is expanding its "food as medicine" service for healthcare providers.
As part of the program, Instacart will deliver provider-selected food to patients with certain dietary needs.
"At Boston Children's Hospital, we're committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in pediatric health and addressing our patient health needs holistically," said John Brownstein, PhD, the hospital's chief innovation officer, in a March 24 news release. "Food and nutrition programs are essential to disease treatment and prevention."
Some providers and insurers also provide funds to purchase the delivered meals as a benefit, as part of Instacart Health's Fresh Funds program.
In addition, Instacart is studying the benefits of food-as-medicine programs on different patient populations, alongside institutions such as New York City-based Mount Sinai Hospital and cancer centers at Stanford (Calif.) Medicine and San Francisco-based UCSF Health.