Quitline Fax Referrals - Increasing Enrollment and Outcomes

Audience: Anyone working in tobacco control can gain knowledge and benefit, particularly those working in states with fax referral systems.

Key Points: Participants will increase their knowledge of how to increase healthcare provider referrals to state Quitlines through a fax referral pilot in a healthcare system in ten practice sites located in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Healthcare brief intervention training will be outlined. Coordinated care approach will be discussed for patient enrollment and follow-up on Quitline enrollment outcomes and continuity of care. Free NRT kits also increase patient enrollment. Pilot evaluation included pilot and non pilot healthcare site interviews, patient coordinator interview, and Quitline enrollment comparison data with pilot sites, non pilot sites, statewide and national Quitline data. 

Educational Experience: Discussion will include how to strategically plan and evaluate a coordinated patient enrollment and feedback system with the state Quitline through a patient care coordinator.  Discussion will also include how to increase healthcare provider referrals to a state Quitline through healthcare practice brief training of the fax referral and feedback system. Steps to setting up the pilot along with materials to streamline the referral and feedback process are discussed along with referral components for successful patient enrollment.   

Benefits: Through this pilot, we can demonstrate increased healthcare provider participation, patient enrollment, use of free NRTs kits, and coordinated patient follow-up can double patient enrollment and completion of at least one Quitline counseling call. This pilot adds to current knowledge and practice to increase Quitline referrals and moving smokers into Action stage to quit.