The effectiveness of personalized smoking cessation strategies for callers to a Quitline service.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of a program of computer-generated tailored advice for callers to a telephone helpline, and to assess whether it enhanced a series of callback telephone counselling sessions in aiding smoking cessation.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial comparing: (1) untailored self-help materials; (2) computer-generated tailored advice only, and (3) computer-generated tailored advice plus callback telephone counselling. Assessment surveys were conducted at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months.


METHODS
Victoria, Australia.


METHODS
A total of 1578 smokers who called the Quitline service and agreed to participate.


METHODS
Smoking status at follow-up; duration of cessation, if quit; use of nicotine replacement therapy; and extent of participation in the callback service.


RESULTS
At the 3-month follow-up, significantly more (chi2(2) = 16.9; P < 0.001) participants in the computer-generated tailored advice plus telephone counselling condition were not smoking (21%) than in either the computer-generated advice only (12%) or the control condition (12%). Proportions reporting not smoking at the 12-month follow-up were 26%, 23% and 22%, respectively (NS) for point prevalence, and for 9 months sustained abstinence; 8.2, 6.0, and 5.0 (NS). In the telephone counselling group, those receiving callbacks were more likely than those who did not to have sustained abstinence at 12 months (10.2 compared with 4.0, P < 0.05). Logistic regression on 3-month data showed significant independent effects on cessation of telephone counselling and use of NRT, but not of computer-generated tailored advice.


CONCLUSIONS
Computer-generated tailored advice did not enhance telephone counselling, nor have any independent effect on cessation. This may be due to poor timing of the computer-generated tailored advice and poor integration of the two modes of advice.
Borland
Ron
R
VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control, Victoria, Australia. ron.borland@cancervic.org.au
Balmford
James
J
Segan
Catherine
C
Livingston
Patricia
P
Owen
Neville
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D013689:Telephone; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome