What is the Minimal Data Set (MDS)?
The Minimal Data Set (MDS) is a standardized set of questions asked by all publicly funded quitlines in North America. It was created to facilitate coordinated data collection across quitlines and make answering questions critical to evaluating and improving quitline practices possible. 

NAQC published the first MDS in 2005, with all quitlines in the U.S. and Canada adopting the data set by 2006. These question banks include required questions that all state quitlines should ask and optional questions that quitlines may choose to add based on their data needs. The current MDS intake features 35 required questions, and the follow-up contains six required questions. Questions for intake and follow-up can be found on the MDS webpage.

What is the difference between required questions and optional questions?
Required questions collect essential data that all quitlines need. Optional questions collect data that some quitlines may need or want. Quitlines should use all required questions. NAQC recommends that quitlines work with their evaluators to determine if any optional questions should be used for intake or follow-up.  

Why is the MDS important?
The standardized MDS provides actionable data on the delivery of quitline services and the characteristics of quitline callers. MDS collection helps inform quitline operations, support comparative evaluation studies, and enhance research opportunities. The MDS evolves to reflect new topics and issues of importance to quitline and research communities and assists quitlines in providing services responsive to emerging needs. 

Does the MDS ever change?
The MDS is a living document modified in response to quitline needs. NAQC consults subject matter experts when considering question updates. Additionally, if multiple quitlines are interested in adding a question on a particular topic, NAQC can facilitate a work group to develop a standard question collaboratively. The standard question can then be added to the optional or required question bank.

Notable changes to the MDS include adding optional questions on sexual orientation in 2006 with an update in 2016 and making the questions required in 2019, optional questions on behavioral health in 2011 that became required in 2019, required and optional questions on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems in 2015, and optional questions on the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

What is the difference between the MDS and the National Quitline Data Warehouse (NQDW)?
The National Quitline Data Warehouse (NQDW) is run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and collects individual-level data on quitline participants. The NQDW has required questions that quitlines report on.

The North American Quitline Consortium maintains the MDS. Quitlines do not report individual-level data to NAQC. NAQC presents aggregate MDS-required question data collected during the annual survey. Recent presentations of annual survey data can be found here. A presentation on demographics data from Fiscal Year 2021 is also available here.

NAQC and the CDC make efforts to coordinate so that many of the required questions on the NQDW questionnaire align with the MDS. Questions about the NQDW should be directed to the CDC, while questions about the MDS may be sent to naqc@naquitline.org.

How does the MDS help quitlines advance health equity?
NAQC is committed to helping the quitline community collect actionable data and advance the impact of quitline services on equity outcomes. The MDS is designed with equitable and inclusive data collection in mind and can guide quitlines in making data-driven decisions that advance health equity in commercial tobacco treatment and cessation.

NAQC continually seeks opportunities to evolve the MDS to increase the availability of high-quality data capable of measuring equitable reach and impact of quitline services and the characteristics of the diverse clients quitlines serve. If you would like to provide input on changes or additions, please contact us at naqc@naquitline.org.

Should the same intake and follow-up questions be used for participants registering for web-based or mobile services?
NAQC has not issued official guidance on using the MDS for web-based and mobile services, but standard MDS questions may be used. NAQC is interested in convening the quitline community to discuss the use of MDS for digital services. Contact naqc@naquitline.org if you are interested in participating.

I’d like to review my quitline’s intake and follow-up questionnaires. What process should I follow?
Limiting the number of questions asked at intake and follow-up reduces the burden on quitline participants, an ongoing priority for the NAQC community. NAQC is happy to discuss balancing responsive data collection and minimizing data collection burden. For technical assistance, contact naqc@naquitline.org.

NAQC developed a tool to assist quitlines in reviewing and streamlining their intake and follow-up questionnaires. The tool helps programs identify MDS and NQDW required questions and optional questions added by states and territories. The suggested review process also guides users in understanding how questionnaire data is currently being used. 

My quitline is considering adding a question about a topic to the intake. What should I do?
Before adding an intake question, we encourage you to consider how you will use the data and how long you want to collect the information. NAQC can help you identify standardized questions or share questions other states already use that you may want to consider. If other states are interested in adding a question related to the same topic, NAQC can also convene a workgroup to discuss the potential for developing a standardized, optional MDS question. Contact us at naqc@naquitline.org for additional guidance.

Can NAQC provide technical assistance on using collected data to improve client services?
NAQC regularly provides technical assistance on using quitline data to improve services. The first step is to review how data is currently being used. Contact naqc@naquitline.org to learn more.