Reducing Smoking Cessation Disparities: Capacity for a Primary Care- and Technology-Based Approach Among Medicaid Recipients

While cigarette use among U.S adults has recently decreased, vulnerable subgroups continue to smoke at high rates, including individuals receiving Medicaid insurance. These individuals have also experienced treatment access disparities, highlighting the need for approaches that leverage their strong desire to quit. We conducted interviews with 100 adult primary care patients receiving Medicaid who were current tobacco users about their use, openness to technology-based interventions, and readiness to change. Most (92%) reported current cigarette use and readiness to change averaged 6.98 out of 10 (SD = 2.82). Nearly all were open to completing an iPad-based tobacco screening (95%) and brief intervention (90%) at their next appointment, while 91% and 88% were willing to talk with their provider or a cessation counselor, respectively, about the subsequent results. Results persisted across age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Openness to technology-based interventions in this population provides support for future work that may ultimately reduce disparities.