Referral follow-through
One Missouri longitudinal study followed 1,235 callers. The largest fall occurs between reaching a referral and receiving assistance.
93%remembered referral
91%tried contact
82%reached provider
36%received help
Observational, self-reported, one statewide system. This is not a national causal estimate.
Randomized evidence
Three trials found improvements from navigation or care-coordination additions. These interventions go beyond a basic information-and-referral call.
What remains uncertain
Most evidence is local or program-specific. The national data do not yet connect state funding levels to caller outcomes, resolved needs, avoided costs, or equitable access. That linkage is the central research gap.