Rapid implementation of a smokers' quitline fax referral service in an urban area.
OBJECTIVE
To increase use of fax referral services to a state smokers' quitline.


METHODS
Program evaluation.


METHODS
A populous urban county.


METHODS
Smokers older than 17 years.


METHODS
In January 2005, a state-funded smoking cessation center began to offer training and technical assistance to clinical sites to expand tobacco control services.


METHODS
Proportion of each county's smokers referred to quitline.


RESULTS
Prior to program onset, only one Bronx provider had made a fax referral to the quitline. In 2006, 943 fax referrals were made, representing 0.5% of all smokers in the county. This was a higher proportion than any other state county with an adult population exceeding 250,000. Bronx smokers are 2.47 times more likely to be fax-referred to the quitline than other smokers in New York.


CONCLUSIONS
A program consisting of training and technical assistance, and emphasizing systems change, can markedly increase providers' use of quitline referral services.
Bernstein
Steven L
SL
Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. steven.bernstein@yale.edu
Jearld
Saba
S
Prasad
Deepa
D
Bax
Patricia
P
Bauer
Ursula
U
D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D015277:Hotlines / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D016636:Telefacsimile; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*