Nutrimedy Collaboration with TechSpring, the Digital Innovation Team at Baystate Health
Goal: Increase access to Nutrition Support for Patients with Cancer Prior to Surgery with Nutrimedy’s Remote Nutrition Digital Platform
Nutrimedy’s mission is to improve health and reduce the epidemic burden of chronic disease by improving access to convenient, evidence based, personalized, nutritional counseling. Nutrimedy and TechSpring received funding through the Digital Health Sandbox Grant Program from the Massachusetts eHealth Institute to carry out a 50 patient pilot. The pilot was designed to assess how a digital nutrition solution could be integrated into clinical workflows and if pre-surgical patients with cancer would be interested and engaged in the service. Patients were invited to join the Nutrimedy platform, connect with a dietitian, and have access to 4 virtual sessions 4 to 12 weeks prior to their scheduled surgery.
Of the 36 patients who consented, 50% engaged overall, while 73% of patients who downloaded the app prior to leaving their provider’s office engaged. Patients who engaged with the platform completed on average 2.7 video sessions with the Nutrimedy dietitian and were able to communicate and receive educational materials through secure messaging between video sessions. Patients ranged in age from 48 to 83 years old with the average age being 68 and accessed Nutrimedy through both the mobile application and the desktop application. The highest used features were the secure messaging, file sharing, appointment scheduler, and video sessions to connect with the Nutrimedy dietitian. Through follow-up interviews, it was found that patients unanimously would recommend Nutrimedy to other patients undergoing oncology treatments. Patients had nothing but praise for Sarah, the Nutrimedy dietitian. She was noted as kind, a great listener, and an expert in her field. Nutrimedy’s dietitian, Sarah, says, “Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, but eating to support your treatment plan should not be. When a patient receives nutrition counseling that is individualized to their needs, not only does their confidence increase, but they feel in control of at least one aspect of their health. It's the most rewarding part of my job.”
Key Takeaways:
Patients loved connecting virtually through video sessions with the dietitian
Patients felt seen and supported during their cancer journey by someone who they really trusted
Dietitian offered high-quality, personalized educational materials and resources using the secure file sharing capability
The Nutrimedy platform and virtual visits were convenient and easy to use
Nutrimedy looks forward to continuing their mission to increase access to nutrition support for patients with cancer. By partnering with pharmaceutical companies and health systems, Nutrimedy is hoping to remove the costly burden of malnutrition, which puts patients at risk of unplanned hospitalizations, discontinued treatment, poorer outcomes, infection and death. Nutrimedy’s nutrition care solution is convenient, supportive, and a lifeline for patients who otherwise would not have access to clinical nutrition care.