Effectiveness of interventions to promote the use of quitlines: A community guide systematic review

Background/Purpose Quitlines are effective in helping tobacco users quit. However, only an estimated 1.1% of U.S. tobacco users contacted quitlines in 2010, indicating the need to promote and increase the use of this effective cessation service. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the evidence on effectiveness of three different interventions to increase use of quitlines: mass-reach health communication interventions (mass-reach); offers of free cessation medications (offering free meds); and health system-based quitline referral systems (clinical referrals). Methods Community Guide methods for conducting systematic reviews were used to identify and summarize results of studies evaluating one or more interventions to increase quitline use (search period January 1980 – July 2012). Results We identified 51 studies: 25 evaluating mass-reach; 12 evaluating offering free meds; and 14 evaluating clinical referrals. Mass reach interventions increased quitline calls by a median of 293% (Interquartile interval [IQI]: 48% to 1012%). Offering free medications increased quitline calls by a median of 396% (IQI: 134% to 1132%). Studies evaluating fax referral systems reported increases in the number of patients referred for quitline follow-up; in one study, quitline referrals reached 30% of annual quitline callers. Some studies in each review also examined cessation rates and found that tobacco users calling quitlines during promotional periods had quit rates similar to those of spontaneous callers. Conclusions Interventions to promote quitline use are effective in increasing both the use of quitline services and the number of tobacco users who successfully quit.