200 Participants Needed
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill logo

Medically Tailored Meals for Type 2 Diabetes

(FAME-D Trial)

Recruiting in Chapel Hill (>99 mi)
KR
Overseen ByKatharine Ricks, PhD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)
Approved in 2 JurisdictionsThis treatment is already approved in other countries

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The investigators propose a single-site, open-label, Phase II, community-based randomized clinical explanatory trial to test the efficacy of a medically tailored meal (MTM) interventions for adults with food insecurity and T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus). While the efficacy of MTM needs to be established, given the nature of the population served by MTM, it is important to design the study to enhance the external validity/generalizability of the findings as much as possible. The investigators will recruit 200 participants from the referral list of Community Servings, a Boston-based MTM provider, and randomly assign them to MTM (N=100) or usual care + monthly food subsidy (N=100). MTM intervention will consist of 6 months of weekly delivery of 10 ready-to-eat meals (approximately half an individual's weekly food intake), along with telephone-based lifestyle intervention that prepares participants for the post-treatment period. The usual care + food subsidy recipients will receive usual care along with 6 months of a $40/month food subsidy.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial protocol does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you intermittently use medications like glucocorticoids that affect blood sugar, you may not be eligible to participate.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you use medications like glucocorticoids that affect blood sugar, you might not be eligible to participate.

What safety data exists for medically tailored meals for type 2 diabetes?

The provided research does not explicitly mention safety data for medically tailored meals (MTM) for type 2 diabetes. However, the studies suggest that MTM interventions are beneficial in managing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, improving health outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and potentially support policy changes for insurance coverage.12345

Are medically tailored meals safe for humans?

Medically tailored meals (MTM) have been used in various studies and are generally considered safe for humans. They are designed to provide nutritious, pre-prepared meals to help manage chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, and no specific safety concerns have been reported in the research available.12345

Is the treatment Food As Medicine a promising treatment for Type 2 Diabetes?

Yes, Food As Medicine, which includes Medically Tailored Meals, is a promising treatment for Type 2 Diabetes. It helps improve the health of people who struggle to get enough nutritious food and can lower healthcare costs. This approach involves providing healthy, pre-prepared meals to manage diabetes better.12345

How is the treatment of medically tailored meals unique for type 2 diabetes?

Medically tailored meals (MTM) are unique because they involve healthcare providers prescribing pre-prepared meals specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of individuals with type 2 diabetes, especially those who struggle to access nutritious food. This approach not only helps manage the condition but also reduces healthcare costs by improving overall health and reducing hospital visits.12345

What data supports the idea that Medically Tailored Meals for Type 2 Diabetes is an effective treatment?

The available research shows that Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) can be effective for people with Type 2 Diabetes, especially those who struggle to access nutritious food. These meals help improve health and reduce healthcare costs for food-insecure patients. Participants in MTM programs reported being able to eat the right foods, which suggests that these meals help manage diabetes better than usual care. While more studies are needed, the current evidence supports the idea that MTM can be a valuable treatment option for managing Type 2 Diabetes.12345

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Medically Tailored Meals for Type 2 Diabetes?

Research shows that medically tailored meals can improve health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, especially those who struggle to access nutritious food. These meals have been effective in improving health and reducing healthcare costs for food-insecure diabetic patients.12345

Who Is on the Research Team?

SB

Seth Berkowitz, MD

Principal Investigator

UNC

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults with food insecurity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus who speak English, plan to stay in the area for a year, have specific levels of Hemoglobin A1c and BMI, can control their diet, consent to participate, and aren't planning pregnancy. Excluded are those with severe psychiatric issues or substance misuse, involved in similar research recently, without stable housing or phone access, certain medical conditions including advanced kidney disease or recent cancer (except some localized cases).

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
Willing and able to provide written informed consent and participate in all study activities
Your average blood sugar level (Hemoglobin A1c) is between 7.0% and 12.0% in the past year.
See 5 more

Exclusion Criteria

Known psychosis or major psychiatric illness that prevents participation with study activities
Another family member or household member is a study participant. Only one member of each household may take part in this study.
I have had cancer other than non-melanoma skin cancer, but it was cured or has been in remission for over 5 years.
See 8 more

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive medically tailored meals (MTM) with weekly delivery and a telephone-based lifestyle intervention for 6 months

6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for diabetes self-care activities and other health outcomes after the treatment period

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • Food As Medicine
Trial Overview The study compares two approaches: one group receives medically tailored meals (MTM) plus lifestyle calls for six months; the other gets usual diabetes care plus a monthly food subsidy. The MTM includes weekly delivery of ready-to-eat meals covering half of weekly intake.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Medically Tailored Meal (MTM)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
The Medically Tailored Meal (MTM) intervention consists of weekly home meal delivery; an explanation of the medical tailoring of the meals; and a 6-session telephone lifestyle intervention change program designed to complement the period of meal delivery and prepare for the period after meal delivery with behavioral and skill-building approaches to sustain the benefit of the intervention.
Group II: Food SubsidyActive Control1 Intervention
As a comparison group, those not randomized to receive the MTM intervention will receive usual care provided by their clinicians not associated with the study, plus a food subsidy ($40/month) for 6 months, along with healthy eating information to guide use of that subsidy.

Food As Medicine is already approved in United States for the following indications:

🇺🇸
Approved in United States as Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) for:
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Lead Sponsor

Trials
1,588
Recruited
4,364,000+

Community Servings

Collaborator

Trials
4
Recruited
510+

Community Servings

Collaborator

Trials
4
Recruited
510+

Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborator

Trials
3,066
Recruited
13,430,000+

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Collaborator

Trials
2,513
Recruited
4,366,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

This study will evaluate the efficacy of a Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) program for individuals with type 2 diabetes and hyperglycemia, involving 212 participants over 26 weeks, to see if it can improve their blood sugar levels and overall health.
The trial aims to provide valuable data on the clinical outcomes of MTM, which could support its large-scale implementation in healthcare systems to help manage chronic conditions like diabetes.
Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of medically tailored meals compared to usual care among individuals with type 2 diabetes in Australia.Law, KK., Coyle, DH., Neal, B., et al.[2023]
A study involving 650 patients with chronic conditions found that receiving medically tailored meals (MTM) for 2 weeks led to a significant reduction in anxiety and depression scores compared to baseline, while the 4-week group did not show similar improvements.
However, there were no significant differences in overall patient outcomes, such as activities of daily living, nutritional risk, or rates of emergency department visits and rehospitalizations, between the 2-week and 4-week MTM groups.
Comparing two durations of medically tailored meals posthospitalization: A randomized clinical trial.Boxer, R., Drace, ML., Kelly, C., et al.[2023]
Medically tailored meals (MTMs) have been shown to effectively improve health outcomes for food-insecure patients with type 2 diabetes, highlighting the importance of nutrition in diabetes management.
Improving access to nutritious food through MTMs not only benefits patient health but also has the potential to reduce overall healthcare costs, suggesting a need for further research to support insurance coverage for these interventions.
Medically Tailored Meals as a Prescription for Treatment of Food-Insecure Type 2 Diabetics.Rabaut, LJ.[2020]

Citations

Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of medically tailored meals compared to usual care among individuals with type 2 diabetes in Australia. [2023]
Comparing two durations of medically tailored meals posthospitalization: A randomized clinical trial. [2023]
Medically Tailored Meals as a Prescription for Treatment of Food-Insecure Type 2 Diabetics. [2020]
Association of National Expansion of Insurance Coverage of Medically Tailored Meals With Estimated Hospitalizations and Health Care Expenditures in the US. [2023]
"I was able to eat what I am supposed to eat"-- patient reflections on a medically-tailored meal intervention: a qualitative analysis. [2020]
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