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

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

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.

The study design is a fully crossed 2x2x2 factorial design that tested the effect of two versus six weeks of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), the effect of NRT monotherapy (nicotine patch alone) versus NRT combination therapy (nicotine patch + oral NRT), and the effect of cognitive medication adherence counseling (CMAC) versus no CMAC. A total of 987 smokers seeking cessation assistance from the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) were randomly assigned to the eight (2x2x2) different conditions generated by the three experimental factors. This design provides us with sufficient power to analyze each of our three main effects listed above. We will also test for two- and three-way interactions, but do not have sufficient data to make a priori assumptions about interaction effects. Finally, we will conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis for each of the three interventions to allow readers of this research to evaluate whether the additional costs of the interventions yield sufficient gains to warrant implementing them broadly.

The only people eligible for this study are Wisconsin residents who contact the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line for smoking cessation services.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Callers will be eligible to participate in the study if they are English speaking; are 18 years of age or older; smoke a minimum of 10 cigarettes per day; are interested in quitting and are willing to set a quit date; willing and able to use nicotine patch and nicotine gum; agree to receive four follow-up counseling calls from Free & Clear (the quitline vendor for the State of Wisconsin); provide verbal informed consent; and provide contact information and agree to take four study follow-up calls from staff at the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Callers will be excluded if they are under the age of 18; are pregnant or breastfeeding; exclusively use other forms of tobacco (e.g., smokeless tobacco); are unwilling or unable to use study NRT medications; are currently using a cessation medication (NRT, bupropion, varenicline); or have medical exclusions as per FDA-approved product labeling.