Association between Quitline Facility Type and Subsequent Client Contact.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Smoking cessation interventions are crucial for public health.
• Referral source can influence patient engagement in quitline services.
• Understanding variations in patient reach and enrollment by facility type is important for optimizing smoking cessation programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between referring facility type (hospitals, community health centers, primary service providers) and patient outcomes in a state tobacco quitline.
• To assess differences in patient reach, enrollment, and 7-month quit rates based on referral source.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from the Arizona Smokers' Helpline (2009-2011).
• Logistic regression was employed to compare engagement and quit rates across different referring facility types.
• Outcomes analyzed included patient reach, enrollment, and 30-day point prevalence quit rates at 7 months post-enrollment.

Main Results:

• Patients referred by community health centers showed higher reach rates.
• Patients referred by primary service providers demonstrated higher enrollment rates.
• No significant differences in 30-day point prevalence quit rates were observed at 7 months post-enrollment across all facility types.

Conclusions:

• Patient engagement with smoking cessation quitlines varies significantly by referring facility type.
• Healthcare professional training may require tailored approaches based on the referring facility's type to enhance patient engagement.
• While initial engagement differs, long-term quit success appears consistent across referral sources.