Data on Health Policy and Law Discussed by Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) (Engaging Consumers In Medicaid Program Design: Strategies From the States)

2021 JAN 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Policy and Law Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Legal Issues - Health Policy and Law. According to news reporting out of Portland, Oregon, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Policy Points As Medicaid programs grow in scale and complexity, greater consumer input may guide successful program design, but little is known about the extent to which state agencies are engaging consumers in the design and implementation of programs and policies. Through 50 semistructured interviews with Medicaid leaders in 14 states, we found significant variation in consumer engagement approaches, with many common facilitators, including leadership commitment, flexible strategies for recruiting and supporting consumer participation, and robust community partnerships.”

Funders for this research include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Oregon Health & Science University.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), “We provide early evidence on how state Medicaid agencies are integrating consumers’ experiences and perspectives into their program design and governance. Consumer engagement early in the process of health care policymaking may improve the effectiveness of program planning and implementation, promote patient-centric care, enhance beneficiary protections, and offer opportunities to improve service delivery. As Medicaid programs grow in scale and complexity, greater consumer input may guide successful program design, but little is known about the extent to which state agencies are currently engaging consumers in the design and implementation of programs and policies, and how this is being done. We conducted semistructured interviews with 50 Medicaid program leaders across 14 states, employing a stratified purposive sampling method to select state Medicaid programs based on US census region, rurality, Medicaid enrollment size, total population, ACA expansion status, and Medicaid managed care penetration. Interview data were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed, and underwent iterative coding with content and thematic analyses. First, we found variation in consumer engagement approaches, ranging from limited and largely symbolic interactions to longer-term deliberative bodies, with some states tailoring their federally mandated standing committees to engage consumers. Second, most states were motivated by pragmatic considerations, such as identifying and overcoming implementation challenges for agency programs. Third, states reported several common facilitators of successful consumer engagement efforts, including leadership commitment, flexible strategies for recruiting and supporting consumers’ participation, and robust community partnerships. All states faced barriers to authentic and sustained engagement.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Sharing best practices across states could help strengthen programs’ engagement efforts, identify opportunities for program improvement reflecting community needs, and increase participation among a population that has traditionally lacked a political voice.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Engaging Consumers In Medicaid Program Design: Strategies From the States. Milbank Quarterly, 2020. Milbank Quarterly can be contacted at: Wiley (Blackwell Publishing), 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Milbank Quarterly - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1468-0009)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Jane M. Zhu, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), School of Medicine, Portland, OR 97201, United States. Additional authors for this research include Ruth Rowland, Rose Gunn, Sarah Gollust and David T. Grande.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12492. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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