Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42768178›Full record

ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2026

Higher and Lower Intensity Outreach to Increase Enrollment in a Medicaid Food Is Medicine Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Sarah Matathia, Saja Alani, David Cheng, Susan Regan, Caylin Marotta, Kristen Risley, Alexy Arauz Boudreau, Suzanne Brodney, Anne N Thorndike

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05972421 (Impact of Proactive Outreach on Enrollment in and Utilization of the Flex Nutrition Program for Patients With Food Insecurity and Nutritionally Dependent Chronic Health Conditions), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05972421 naunknown statusnot on this map

Impact of Proactive Outreach on Enrollment in and Utilization of the Flex Nutrition Program for Patients With Food Insecurity and Nutritionally Dependent Chronic Health Conditions

TypeinterventionalSponsorMassachusetts General HospitalRan2023 to 2025Enrolled255ConditionsFood Insecurity, Vulnerable Populations, Nutrition, HealthyArmsHigh Intensity Proactive Outreach, Low Intensity Proactive Outreach
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sarah MatathiaDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. samatathia@mgb.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-8138-1826
Saja AlaniDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
David ChengDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Susan ReganDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Caylin MarottaDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Kristen RisleyDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Alexy Arauz BoudreauHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Suzanne BrodneyDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Anne N ThorndikeDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

NHLBI NIH HHS HL163073
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMedicaid accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly implementing Food is Medicine (FIM) programs, but enrollment typically relies on clinicians identifying and referring eligible individuals. Systematic proactive outreach has potential to improve FIM program enrollment.

objectiveDetermine the effectiveness of two outreach strategies (letter + telephone (higher intensity) and letter only (lower intensity)) compared to usual care on enrollment into a Medicaid FIM program.

designThree-arm randomized controlled trial conducted at one ACO in eastern Massachusetts between August 2023 and May 2024.

participantsAdults and children eligible for Flexible Services (Flex) nutrition services (Medicaid ACO insurance, food insecurity identified on two-item primary care-based screener, eligible diagnosis).

interventionsThe higher intensity group received a letter, followed by telephone outreach, offering Flex enrollment; the lower intensity group received a letter only. The usual care group received no outreach and could be referred by the clinical team. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion of participants enrolled into Flex within 90 days of initial letter outreach, comparing each intervention group vs. usual care and higher vs. lower intensity groups. A secondary outcome was documented receipt of Flex services. KEY

resultsA total of 255 individuals were randomized. Mean (SD) age was 33 (20) years, with 86 (34%) children; 131 (51%) were female. Compared to usual care, a larger proportion of intervention participants were enrolled in Flex in both the higher intensity (78% vs. 6% [p < 0.001]) and lower intensity (39% vs. 6% [p < 0.001]) groups. Higher intensity was more effective than lower intensity outreach (adjusted difference 39.0%; 95% CI 25.6%, 52.4%). Results were similar in comparisons of receipt of Flex services.

conclusionsProactive outreach increased enrollment into a Medicaid FIM program. Results suggest higher intensity outreach is most effective, but further research is needed to assess cost-effectiveness to guide implementation in other health systems. NIH TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER (IF APPLICABLE): n/a CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05972421.

Indexed as

food insecurityfood is medicineproactive outreach

Identifiers

PMID42768178

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.