Improving the Population-Wide Effectiveness of U.S. Tobacco Cessation Quitlines

Summary

Research shows that smoking cessation is the most significant preventable health behavior change that a person can make to lower cancer risk. In addition, telephone quitlines are an effective, science-based smoking cessation treatment that is universally accessible to smokers in the U.S. However, little research has explored promising approaches that could increase quitline use, improve quit rates, and inform resource allocation for quitline services. The proposed study will test three promising enhancements to the standard quitline treatment that typically consists of counseling and, possibly 2 weeks of a NRT medication. These enhancements are: 1) combination nicotine replacement therapy as recommended by the United States Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline on Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence; 2) extended duration of cessation medication use; and 3) an innovative counseling addition - cognitive medication adherence counseling - to optimize adherence to cessation medication. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of each intervention will be calculated. The findings of the proposed research have broad potential application and relevance to state quitlines, quitline service providers, and other purchasers of quitline services such as employers and insurers. Additionally, the study findings can potentially inform other telephone health behavior counseling programs.

Timeline

Start

2010-04

Primary completion

2011-02

Completion

2011-11

Publications

• Results Smith SS, Keller PA, Kobinsky KH, Baker TB, Fraser DL, Bush T, Magnusson B, Zbikowski SM, McAfee TA, Fiore MC. Enhancing tobacco quitline effectiveness: identifying a superior pharmacotherapy adjuvant. Nicotine Tob Res. 2013 Mar;15(3):718-28. doi: 10.1093/ntr/nts186. Epub 2012 Sep 19.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.