The Article in Brief

Practice-Based Referral Rates to a Tobacco Cessation Quit Line: Assessing the Impact of Comparative Feedback vs General Reminders

William C. Wadland, MD, MS, and colleagues

Background This study compares two methods of encouraging doctors to refer patients who smoke to a telephone quit line. The methods are comparative feedback (doctors receive information comparing their rates of referring patients to the quit line with those of other doctors, particularly with other doctors who refer at high rates) and postcards reminding them about quit line services. The quit line is a 24-hour service staffed by trained nurses who counsel callers in how to quit smoking and keep from starting again.

What This Study Found Doctors who receive comparative feedback refer patients to a smoking quit line at higher rates than doctors who receive a postcard reminder. The estimated number of referred smokers who quit was 66 in the feedback group and 36 in the postcard reminder group. The added cost to develop feedback information was about $65 per estimated patient who quits smoking.

Implications

• Comparative feedback on referrals to a smoking quit line had a modest effect on doctors.
• The additional cost of providing feedback information is small considering the effectiveness of the feedback method and the long-term health benefits of stopping smoking.