Penn Medicine Food Market Study

Summary

The goal of this interventional study is to test ways to improve the effectiveness of a healthy foods prescription program in increasing the purchase of healthy foods for patients who have both obesity (BMI \>or= 30) and diabetes (last A1C\>8 in the 90 days from data pull). The main questions it aims to answer are:

Aim 1: Examine feasibility and engagement among participants by assessing percent enrollment among those identified as eligible, rates of Instacart platform use, amount of the subsidy used each week, and amounts of healthy foods ordered.

Aim 2: Examine strategies to optimize the user experience of trial participation, including communication strategies and on-boarding, to increase uptake and engagement in this and subsequent studies.

Usual Care (Control): Participants in the usual care arm will not receive weekly subsidies on Instacart, and they will not receive any modifications to the virtual storefront on Instacart. They will have access to the standard Instacart platform and Instacart + memberships with $5 per week to cover service and delivery fees and delivery tips for 3 months.

Intervention Arms: The four treatment groups will also each receive a $160 subsidy per month for 3 months to be used on produce (fruits and vegetables).

Conditions

• Obesity
• Diabetes

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Storefront Choice Architecture

An Instacart storefront with choice architecture manipulation (healthy items for diabetics appear first and less healthy items are less visible)

BEHAVIORAL

Fresh Funds

The treatment groups will each receive a $160 subsidy per month for 3 months to be used on produce through Instacart.

BEHAVIORAL

Loss Framing

They will receive text messages detailing how much of their $160 subsidy is left (beginning of weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 and following end of the month).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kevin Volpp, MD,PhD · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

30 Years

Max Age

70 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-08-01

Primary Completion

2025-05-01

Completion

2026-12-21

Countries

• United States

Study Locations