Food is Medicine Prospective Study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a medically tailored post-operative meal delivery program on surgical outcomes and metabolic lab markers in orthopaedic trauma patients. Patients will have 12 days of meals and shakes delivered to their house through our partnership with Meals on Wheels. Metabolic lab values will be drawn at the 2 week and 6 week post-op visits. All patients will be followed for up to 1 year postoperatively.

Detailed Description

This project addresses critical gaps in our understanding of how malnutrition affects recovery in orthopaedic trauma patients by focusing on three key outcomes: (1) the incidence of acute wound complications, (2) metabolic biomarker changes over time, and (3) patient-reported outcomes (PROMIS scores) and impact (qualitative survey) during the recovery period. By systematically investigating these outcomes, the project aims to understand how post-operative meal supplementation can be optimized to reduce complications and improve recovery. The findings will have significant implications for clinical practice, particularly in developing nutritional programs and guidelines that can be integrated into post-operative care protocols to improve outcomes and reduce healthcare costs for orthopaedic trauma patients.

Eligibility Criteria