The Evolution of Clinical Nutrition: How Healthcare Companies Can Respond to Evolving Consumer Nutrition Behavior

Clinical nutrition is all about using food to make yourself healthier. Medical professionals have long recommended specific diet plans to help patients manage diseases.

However, there’s been a massive shift in the industry. Consumers are taking more control. They’re being more proactive about leading healthier lifestyles and they’re searching for digital solutions to help achieve those goals.

This mindset change has led to a boom in the clinical nutrition market. The global industry was valued at more than $36 billion in 2021 and it’s expected to nearly double by 2030, according to data compiled by Precedence Research. An estimated 86.3 million Americans are also using healthcare and fitness apps in 2022. 

The clinical nutrition evolution has created greater opportunities for healthcare companies to reach consumers directly and have a lasting impact on their health outcomes.

For this In the Know segment, I spoke with Bushra Hassan, a registered dietician and the current Vice President of Clinical Development at GA Foods. She discussed clinical nutrition’s surging popularity and how companies can use digital platforms to engage with customers and clinicians.

Consumers are educating themselves.

“People are taking their health into their own hands,” Bushra told me. “They’re engaging online and implementing protocols to help manage potential illnesses, or even just to improve their overall health.”

Bushra explained that patients are seeking solutions that’ll help them make lasting behavioral changes in their daily lives. A doctor can advise you on what to eat, but they’re not present every day to remind you to follow through, and that’s where digital solutions can make a difference.

Proper clinical nutrition can also help patients be less reliant on pharmaceuticals. “There's a time and a place for therapeutic intervention,” Bushra said, “but we find that people who are passionate about implementing proper nutrition, as well as physical activity, into their lives, don't always need those drugs because they tend to be healthier individuals.”

The incentives are powerful.

Consumers have strong incentives to be more proactive about healthcare. One of them is cost.

According to a 2021 Gallup survey, 30% of American adults didn’t seek care for a health problem because the potential treatment was too expensive. Total healthcare spending in the United States reached $4.1 trillion in 2020, National Health Expenditure Accounts data shows. That’s $12,530 per person.

The COVID-19 pandemic also incentivized people to boost their natural immunity, in order to better fight disease. Bushra said online research about clinical nutrition has been growing.

“People are researching superfoods, vitamins and minerals. They’re going from, for example, eating a high carbohydrate diet to learning how to incorporate healthy fats, clean proteins and good carbs,” Bushra explained.

“There's a lot of really targeted vitamins and minerals that help with our immune system,” Bushra added. “We need to replenish them to stay healthy and even before COVID, people were starting to become hypersensitive about supporting their immune system.”

Be a trusted resource.

To excel in the clinical nutrition market, Bushra said it’s important for your company to stand out as a trusted resource. “Education is king. It’s not just about selling a product,” she explained.

“As a clinician, my goal is to help customers find solutions to their problems. One of the ways we do that is by creating educational materials to help translate the newest research that's out there.”

Optimizing digital platforms, like social media and websites, to deliver that information is crucial in today’s market because data can change quickly. “Medicine and nutrition are evolving and we need to evolve with it,” Bushra said.

Bushra also advocated for staying connected with the medical professionals with whom your company collaborates. She said direct-to-consumer healthcare companies should “be a little humble” and “gain insights” from their partner practitioners who see patients every day. She said in her experience, this practice will enhance your company’s ability to help people.

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Check out my entire conversation with Bushra Hassan below:

*The interview was recorded when Bushra was Director of Clinical Nutrition at Medline Industries.