Tufts Medical Center to pilot nutrition screening in EHR

The newly established Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute in Boston, in collaboration with a team of experts in the fields of medicine, science, technology, and health policy, is pioneering a groundbreaking initiative by incorporating food and nutrition insecurity screening into Tufts Medicine's Epic electronic health record and patient engagement system. Their primary objective is to propel the science behind "food as medicine" by leveraging the data generated through this innovative approach. Additionally, they aspire to address the pressing issue of food and nutrition accessibility within the healthcare system.

Proponents of the "food is medicine" concept contend that interventions centred around food can effectively target one aspect of social determinants of health, ultimately promoting health equity while catering to the nutritional needs of individuals dealing with chronic diseases.

In addition to the implementation of nutrition security screening tools within the EHR at Tufts Medical Center, the institute is exploring how food and nutrition can play a pivotal role in promoting maternal and child health equity. This includes an examination of how these groups engage with programs such as produce prescriptions. Their aim is to devise strategies that enhance participation, engagement, and the utility of such programs to better align with individuals' preferences.

While the implementation of screening may add to the digital workload of healthcare providers, the effective capture and use of social determinants of health (SDOH) data can play a vital role in advancing health equity.  

Efforts to address food and nutrition insecurity in the healthcare system involve numerous stakeholders and require effective integration of SDOH technologies with EHRs. The launch event for the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute featured a diverse array of speakers, including healthcare leaders, medical scientists, policymakers, founders of food security organisations, patients, and partners from the technology and life insurance industries who are actively involved in promoting food-based interventions in healthcare. 

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