Using telenutrition to help manage hypertension
A HRSA-funded health center is pairing telehealth nutrition counseling with home-delivered meals to help patients manage hypertension.
Nearly half of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, also called hypertension. This condition is associated with high morbidity and mortality, including heart disease and stroke. Nearly 5.6 million of the patients served in health centers nationwide have hypertension. Effective control requires more than just medication; it includes helping patients change how and what they eat.
Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center (MWCHC) in Nashville offers a hypertension program that blends in-person primary care with telehealth nutrition counseling. Patients with high blood pressure are referred by their provider, enabling a team-based approach to care that integrates primary care with advice from dietitians and wellness coaches. Patients are encouraged to participate in a nutrition counseling program.
MWCHC's registered dietitian attends part of the patient’s primary care visit to introduce the program. During this discussion, the patient learns about the full range of available services that can support them in adopting a healthier diet. The nutrition counseling program began in 2023 and incorporates cooking classes, tasty recipes, telehealth appointments, and access to heart-healthy meals. The meals can be picked up or delivered directly to the person’s home. Additionally, the patient is offered the opportunity to receive fresh fruits and vegetables delivered directly to their home. During interactions with patients, the dietitian emphasizes, “You can typically have the things you like. You just need to think about them differently.”
The nutrition counseling program began in 2023 and incorporates cooking classes, tasty recipes, telehealth appointments, and access to heart-healthy meals.
Like many new programs, the nutrition counseling program has faced some barriers. One challenge was patient perception. Many patients assumed heart-healthy meals would be bland and they would have to stop eating the food they loved. To address this, MWCHC established food sampling opportunities where the dietitian and chef were available to answer questions and provide recipes, cooking classes, and field trips to source fresh ingredients.
The healthier meals have been so popular that additional patients have requested to join the program after hearing about it from friends and neighbors. The program’s chef is a member of the community; she uses her knowledge of local food preferences to develop healthier recipes with modest dietary changes. The dietitian encourages patients and coaches on how to identify healthier alternatives from their favorite restaurants.
Given the program's success, MWCHC plans to expand the program by using telehealth nutrition counseling to prevent and improve maternal hypertension.
The program has been well received by patients. Factory workers and truck drivers have shared that they eat prepared healthy meals for lunch instead of stopping for fast food. In the evenings, they use fresh produce and free recipes to make dinners that not only taste good but are also good for their health. Given the program’s success, MWCHC plans to expand the program by using telehealth nutrition counseling to prevent and improve maternal hypertension.