Improving the continuity of smoking cessation care delivered by quitline services

- 61% of smokers thought having one quitline advisor would increase quitting success.
- 58% of smokers would accept further quitline support after a failed quit attempt.
- The mean length of time smokers would accept quitline support was 9.9 months.
- 33-75% of smokers would accept various quitting aids if offered by the quitline.

ObjectivesThis study identified smokers' intended use of new quitline features aimed at improving smoking cessation such as having the same quitline advisor for each call, longer-term telephone counselling and provision of additional cessation treatments.MethodsSmokers who had previously used quitline counselling completed a computer-assisted telephone interview examining intended use of potential quitline enhancements.ResultsThe majority of smokers (61.1%) thought their chances of quitting would have increased a lot/moderately if they had the same quitline advisor for each call. Most smokers reported likely use of longer-term quitline telephone support after a failed (58.3%) or successful (60%) quit attempt. Smokers were likely to use quitline support long-term (mean = 9.9 months). Most smokers would be likely to use free or subsidised nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (74.9%) if offered by quitlines. Younger smokers had greater odds of being likely to use text messages, whereas less educated smokers had greater odds of being likely to use free or subsidised NRT.ConclusionsSmokers appear interested in quitlines offering longer-term telephone support, increased continuity of care and additional effective quitting strategies.Practice implicationsQuitlines could adopt a stepped care model that involves increasingly intensive treatments and extended telephone counselling delivered by the same quitline advisor.