Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2007 Mar-Apr;5(2):135-42.
doi: 10.1370/afm.650.

Practice-based referrals to a tobacco cessation quit line: assessing the impact of comparative feedback vs general reminders

William C Wadland  1 , Jodi Summers Holtrop, David Weismantel, Pramod K Pathak, Huda Fadel, Jeff Powell
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Practice-based referrals to a tobacco cessation quit line: assessing the impact of comparative feedback vs general reminders

William C Wadland et al. Ann Fam Med. 2007 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: We undertook a study to assess the impact of comparative feedback vs general reminders on practice-based referrals to a tobacco cessation quit line and estimated costs for projected quit responses.

Methods: We conducted a group-randomized clinical trial comparing the impact of 6 quarterly (18 months) feedback reports (intervention) with that of general reminders (control) on practice-based clinician referrals to a quit-line service. Feedback reports were based on an Achievable Benchmark of Care approach using baseline practice, clinician, and patient survey responses, and referrals per quarter. Comparable quit responses and costs were estimated.

Results: Three hundred eight clinicians participated (171 family medicine, 88 internal medicine, 49 obstetrics-gynecology) from 87 primary care practices in Michigan. After 18 months, there were more referrals from the intervention than from the control practices (484 vs 220; P <.001). Practice facsimile (fax) referrals (84%, n = 595) exceeded telephone referrals (16%, n = 109), but telephone referrals resulted in greater likelihood of enrollment (77% telephone vs 44% fax, P <.001). The estimated number of smokers who quit based on the level of services utilized by referred smokers was 66 in the feedback and 36 in the gentle reminder practices.

Conclusion: Providing comparative feedback on clinician referrals to a quit-line service had a modest impact with limited increased costs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Example of a Quit Line referral report.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Clinician referrals to Quit Line by quarter. Mantel-Haenszel χ2: P <.001.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Participant disposition and summary outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Fiore M, Bailey W, Cohen S. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2000.
    1. Katz DA, Muehlenbruch DR, Brown RL, Fiore MC, Baker TB. Effectiveness of implementing the agency for healthcare research and quality smoking cessation clinical practice guideline: a randomized, controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96(8):594–603. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cummings SR, Stein MJ, Hansen B, et al. Smoking counseling and preventive medicine. A survey of internists in private practices and a health maintenance organization. Arch Intern Med. 1989;149(2):345–349. - PubMed
    1. Thorndike AN, Rigotti NA, Stafford RS, Singer DE. National patterns in the treatment of smokers by physicians. JAMA. 1998;279(8):604–608. - PubMed
    1. Glynn T, Manley M. How to help your patients stop smoking. A National Cancer Institute Manuel for Physicians. US Dept of Health; 1989. NIH 89–3064.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources