I-Corps: A virtual culinary medicine software program for patients with chronic disease

Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a software program for people with chronic illnesses that do not know what to eat to manage their chronic disease. Many patients have limited access to nutrition professionals for reasons such as time and financial constraints and availability of a registered dietitian. In the US, 60% of adults have a chronic disease. People with a chronic disease are more likely to have a poor quality of life. The proposed software program may improve quality of life and increase access to nutrition services for patients. It is designed to show people what to eat and how to prepare foods based on his or her current diet-related behaviors and readiness to change. This is of great interest to leadership of insurance companies and employee wellness programs because research has shown that dietitian-led lifestyle management added to the usual medical care provided modest health care cost savings. The proposed program may increase access to nutrition care and disease management adherence while decreasing health care costs. Ultimately, the proposed technology may empower people to manage their chronic disease nutritionally so that they feel their best every day. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a data-driven software program with a collection of culinary medicine and nutrition education videos for chronic illnesses that also assists patients with goalsetting, self-monitoring progress, and provides feedback on behavioral goals. Developed by registered dietitians with over 30 years of combined clinical experience and a culinary educator with over 10 years of industry experience, the proposed technology is a program designed to support people with chronic and acute conditions in improving their diet quality and overall health. When patients have access to nutrition services their outcomes (laboratory tests, weight, blood pressure) improve. Thus, having a way to help patients manage chronic disease nutritionally by showing them what to eat, how to prepare it, and giving them on-demand access to nutrition information may benefit those involved with health, fitness, and chronic disease management. The software may be personalized with an interactive capability to tailor recipes and meal plans for each person’s level of readiness and confidence to help them set goals and reach them. The proposed technology may give patients convenient access to nutrition services, and this could result in positive outcomes in several types of disease management. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.