Online Versus Telephone Registration: Differences in Quitline Participant Characteristics.
Monday, March 22, 2021
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Keller PA, Lachter RB, Lien
RK, Klein J.
Online Versus Telephone
Registration: Differences in Quitline Participant Characteristics.
Am J Prev Med. 2021 Mar;60(3 Suppl 2):S136-S141. doi:
10.1016/j.amepre.2019.12.025. PMID: 33663701.
Introduction.
Although 72% of Internet users have searched for health information, online
quitline registration is not universally available. In 2014, QUITPLAN Services
(Minnesota's quitline) added options (Individual Services: 2-week
nicotine-replacement therapy starter kit, text messaging, e-mail messaging,
quit guide) to the existing Helpline (telephone counseling,
nicotine-replacement therapy, integrated e-mails and texts, quit guide) and
online registration for all programs. Demographic and quit outcome differences
by registration mode (online versus telephone) and program type (Individual
Services versus Helpline) were examined.
Methods. A
total of 4 years (March 2014-February 2018) of participants' registration and
utilization data (N=55,817) were examined. Data were also studied from subsets
of participants who completed the outcome evaluations conducted in 2014
(n=1,127) and 2017 (n=872). Select demographic and program use characteristics
and quit outcomes were analyzed by registration method and stratified by
program type. Associations between registration mode and quit outcomes were
examined within program and adjusted for available covariates using 2017
outcome study data. Data were analyzed in 2019.
Results.
Overall, 65.8% of participants enrolled online, and 34.2% enrolled by telephone.
Helpline participants were more likely to enroll by telephone than Individual
Services participants (85.8% vs 25.3%). Younger adults were more likely to
enroll online for either program type than older adults (p<0.001). No
differences were found in 30-day point prevalence abstinence by registration
mode within program after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusions.
Online quitline registration has multiple benefits, including engaging younger
tobacco users. Moreover, abstinence rates do not differ. Online registration
may be particularly appropriate for nontelephone quitline services. Quitlines
may wish to add online registration to capitalize on Internet use.
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