Instacart, DispatchHealth partner to tackle food insecurity

In a recent announcement, DispatchHealth and Instacart have partnered to integrate Instacart Health tools into DispatchHealth's in-home care services, enabling care professionals to prescribe food interventions for patients. DispatchHealth offers in-home urgent care medical visits, where clinicians, including a physician assistant or nurse practitioner and a DispatchHealth medical technician, arrive at the patient's home within two hours. Instacart Health, introduced in 2022, provides tools such as Virtual Storefronts, Shoppable Recipes, and Lists for Nutrition, allowing healthcare providers to create curated shops, recommend healthy recipes, and build tailored grocery lists.

The collaboration addresses the impact of social determinants on patients' health, particularly focusing on nutritional accessibility. DispatchHealth's chief medical officer, Dr. Phil Mitchell, emphasised the importance of considering patients' environments, stating that the partnership with Instacart empowers them to make tangible improvements in patients' lives by bridging gaps in healthcare.

In the broader trend, Instacart initially launched its health division with a focus on providing nutritious foods and advocating for food policy. The company expanded its health division to include provider-facing tools last year. DispatchHealth has a history of partnerships, including collaborations with Blue Shield of California, Saint Francis Health System in Oklahoma, Marshfield Clinic Health System in Wisconsin, and virtual care company Included Health. In 2022, DispatchHealth raised $330 million in funding, contributing to its total raise of over $700 million, indicating strong support for its innovative healthcare delivery model.