Phone messaging to former smoking quitline participants can motivate them to make new quit attempts. The technique is particularly effective for older, long-term smokers with chronic conditions.
Study researchers invited 3,510 past quitline participants to make another quitline-assisted effort to stop smoking. They were invited back to quitline services, using messages repeatedly delivered through Interactive Voice Response (IVR), postcard and email reminders, and text messaging.
The IVR gave those who responded to IVR calls the options of immediate transfer to a quitline coach, recording their contact information to receive a call back from the quitline, receiving another call from the automated system in two weeks, or no further contact.
The researchers found that older, long-term smokers are the most interested in making another quit attempt and that automated telephone messages are effective when compared with the standard of care (no action to proactively reach former quitline participants). Smokers reporting cancer or COPD/emphysema were also more likely to make another quit attempt using quitline support than other smokers.
According to the study, text messaging, postcards, and email communication generated few re-enrollments and did not change the demographics of smokers who re-enrolled in quitline services. The researchers say this finding suggests that low re-enrollment of younger smokers (aged 18-39) may not be related to the communication channels used but to less interest in a repeat quitline-assisted cessation effort.