Study Data from University of Florida Provide New Insights into Health and Medicine (Participation in Tobacco Cessation Programs Among Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees in Florida): Health and Medicine

2024 DEC 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New study results on agriculture have been published. According to news reporting out of Gainesville, Florida, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Background/Objectives: Tobacco use remains a significant public health issue, particularly among individuals with low incomes, including Medicaid recipients who often face multiple barriers to quitting. This study aimed to identify barriers, from the perspective of Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), influencing Medicaid recipient participation in tobacco cessation programs.”

Financial supporters for this research include University of Florida Received Contracts From The Florida Department of Health.

The news editors obtained a quote from the research from University of Florida: “Focus group interviews were conducted with Florida Medicaid MCOs to elicit processes for case identification, outreach, referral, program participation, and incentives. Answers were synthesized into themes. Medicaid recipients were primarily identified through nicotine dependency claim codes or Health Risk Assessments (HRAs). Individuals were referred to state and local community tobacco cessation programs through text messaging and outreach by MCO case managers. The MCOs identified the following as barriers: primary care physicians (PCPs) with limited knowledge about cessation programs and pharmacologic treatments for nicotine dependence, low availability of health coaches, long wait times for entry into cessation programs, weak coordination between MCOs and cessation programs, and insufficient incentives for individuals for program participation. Suggested strategies to overcome barriers were continuing medical education (CME) for PCPs about tobacco cessation programs and prescription therapies, increasing the training of health coaches, more investment in quitlines, increasing data sharing between MCOs and cessation programs, and increasing incentives for individuals.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “These findings highlight the importance of engaging MCOs in discussions about policy and program improvements, as their insights can drive meaningful changes in how tobacco cessation and other preventive health programs are structured and implemented. Targeted interventions are needed to enhance tobacco cessation program participation among Medicaid recipients.”

For more information on this research see: Participation in Tobacco Cessation Programs Among Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees in Florida. Healthcare, 2024,12(22). (Healthcare - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/healthcare). The publisher for Healthcare is MDPI AG.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12222319.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Rahma S. Mkuu, Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States. Additional authors for this research include Casey C. Glymph, Peyton A. Lurk, Madison R. McCraney, Jennifer H. LeLaurin, Ramzi G. Salloum, Jaclyn M. Hall, Christopher R. Cogle.

ORCID is an identifier for authors and includes bibliographic information. The following is ORCID information for the authors of this research: Rahma S. Mkuu (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7921-1430), Jennifer H. LeLaurin (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5615-723X), Ramzi G. Salloum (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8139-2418), Jaclyn M. Hall (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5289-5585), Christopher R. Cogle (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5422-6863).

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