Assessing Food Insecurity Protocols and Interventions Across a Non-profit Integrated Health System

Nearly 2 million Arizonans face food insecurity every year. Food insecurity has been related to higher rates of chronic diseases and worse health outcomes. This study explores possible markers for patients of HonorHealth, a healthcare network in Arizona, at high risk for food insecurity to help create improved screening strategies, and to measure the impact of the health system interventions on patient outcomes. Assessing current practices will aid in the creation of targeted policies to provide effective interventions to food insecure patients. This retrospective study reviewed patients’ data within the HonorHealth network. In 2022 and 2023, more than 350,000 patients were screened for social determinants of health (SDOH) markers, with more than 80% screened positive for food insecurity. Screening data revealed disparities in positive screenings by sex, insurance type, and zip codes but not age. This data supports the need to increase targeted screening efforts to provide personalized quality patient care to improve patient outcomes.