Smoking-cessation e-referrals: a national dental practice-based research network randomized controlled trial
Midge N Ray1, Ellen Funkhouser2, Jessica H Williams1
1Department of Health Services Administration (Ray, Williams), School of Health Professions.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|January 21, 2014
Summary
Electronic referrals (e-referrals) significantly increased smoker registrations and quit rates for web-assisted tobacco interventions compared to paper referrals. This method enhances patient engagement in smoking cessation programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Informatics
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of death and morbidity in the U.S.
- Web-assisted tobacco interventions are effective but underutilized for smoking cessation.
- Dental visits offer a prime opportunity to connect smokers with online cessation resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of paper referrals versus combined paper and e-referrals to a web-assisted smoking cessation system.
- To evaluate patient referral methods for engaging smokers in online tobacco cessation programs.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial (RCT) utilizing implementation research methods.
- 100 community-based dental practices enrolled, referring 1814 smokers to the Decide2Quit.org system.
- Intervention group received proactive e-referrals; control group received paper referrals (information prescriptions).
Main Results:
- E-referral practices showed nearly fourfold higher registration rates (29.5% vs 7.6%) for Decide2Quit.org.
- Smokers referred via e-referrals had threefold higher quit rates (3.0% vs 0.8%) compared to paper referrals.
- Despite lower overall referral numbers, e-referrals significantly improved engagement and cessation outcomes.
Conclusions:
- E-referral systems are effective in directing smokers to web-assisted cessation programs.
- Proactive e-referrals from dental practices increase smoker engagement and successful quitting.
- E-referrals are a valuable tool for enhancing the reach and effectiveness of online smoking cessation interventions.
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