Unique Partnership Achieves Operational Efficiencies in Distributing Quitline Material

Audience: Quitline funders and operators Key Points: The California Smokers’ Helpline (Helpline) and the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC) tested the hypothesis that if each organization (both funded by the California Tobacco Control Program) focused on its strengths, together they would be more effective and efficient, reduce costs, and provide better and more timely service to Helpline callers. The Helpline focuses on providing evidence-based counseling and other telephone services to over 30,000 callers per year, while TECC focuses on distributing individually tailored cessation support “quit kits” to these callers, mailing resources quickly, efficiently and accurately. In the four years since the two organizations began partnering in 2007, TECC has mailed approximately 128,000 quit kits to Helpline callers, with a total of 930,000 pieces shipped. The partnership has improved service by shortening delivery times. It has cut the rate of returned mail by more than half, through improvements in address validation. It has also reduced the costs for materials, shipping and handling, by taking advantage of a clearinghouse’s more cost-efficient printing and fulfillment systems. Educational Experience: The Helpline/TECC quit kit fulfillment process will be represented visually. Audience members will receive data supporting the advantages of this type of partnership, an overview of technological considerations, and information about maintaining client confidentiality in such a context. Benefits: With tobacco control budgets increasingly stretched, quitline funders and operators look for innovative ways to improve service quality while reducing costs. Information from this session will help them do both.