Learning Objectives: Explain the effects of offering no-cost medication in South Dakota on participation in telephone counseling and subsequent quit rates.
Abstract:
Problem/Objective: Telephone counseling has proven to be an effective way of increasing cessation success, roughly doubling the likelihood that at least one year of abstinence will be achieved. But only a small fraction of smokers choose to make use of this service, even when it is freely available and well publicized. Average participation rates in a defined population of smokers are 1% or lower in most published reports. Medications to aid quitting, e.g., nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and Zyban can also boost quitting success but most smokers making quit attempts, even with telephone counseling, do not use them because of barriers in cost and access.
Methods: Recognizing the need to increase participation in proven interventions like counseling and medication use, the South Dakota Department of Health began a program in 2002 to offer counseling and medication at no cost to smokers who used the American Cancer Society’s telephone counseling service. Free medications were offered to specific populations in the first five months and expanded to the entire state for months six through twelve.
Results: Over 10 % (12,012 callers) of the SD adult smoking population telephone assistance during the first 12 months. There was a limited advertising budget in months one through four and no promotion after that. This report will describe the program, the associated promotional campaign, estimate its cost-effectiveness, detail medication use, and present six-month cessation rates.
Conclusions: Providing no-cost medication is an extremely effective way to increase participation in telephone counseling and maintain high cessation rates.
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