Abstract

The Produce Prescription (Rx) program serves patients who utilize a local free clinic, have incomes below the federal poverty line, are uninsured, and have a diet-related health condition. This program is run by a team of Registered Dietitians (RDs) who specialize in providing nutrition-related services [1]. Participants receive nutrition education, cooking demos, recipes, and a bag of local produce (their nutrition prescription). Their nutrition prescription provides enough produce for participants to eat two servings each day for fourteen days. The hope is to improve disease maintenance through nutrition education and the promotion of plant-based diets. However, the program is experiencing irregular levels of attendance. Even though the program provides free services, it must pay for the produce and packaging materials. Irregular attendance patterns threaten the fidelity and sustainability of the program. It could also impact the health outcomes seen in the participants. The fidelity of the program and health outcomes of the participants are impacted because it may appear that the program is ineffective, when the intervention was not implemented (they did not get their nutrition prescription). The sustainability of the program is impacted because along with improved disease maintenance, the program seeks to lower the amount of medication needed to manage chronic health conditions, which the clinic also provides for free. Reducing the participants medications saves the clinic money and increases the sustainability of both the clinic and the Produce Rx program.