Quit Line Referral Support for Smoking

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Disqualifiers: Children under 18, language barriers

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine how Salvation Army staff can more effectively help people who smoke learn about and access free treatments to reduce or quit smoking. The study will explore various methods to connect individuals with the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, including cognitive-motivational feedback (a psychological approach to enhance motivation) and consumer incentives for immediate referral. It involves two groups: one group will enhance staff readiness to refer without incentives, while the other will use incentives to encourage immediate calls. Ideal participants include those who smoke and receive services at a participating Salvation Army site, as well as staff involved in the referral process. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative strategies for smoking cessation support.

Do I need to stop taking my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It focuses on helping people quit smoking, so it's best to ask the study team for more details.

What prior data suggests that these methods are safe for helping people quit smoking?

Previous studies have found the different components of the Quit Line Referral Support for Smoking treatments to be safe and generally well-tolerated by participants.

Research on cognitive-motivational feedback, which aids individuals in reflecting on and changing their smoking habits, has not raised any safety concerns. This method helps people understand their smoking behavior and encourages quitting without causing direct side effects.

Studies on consumer incentives for immediate referral to a Tobacco Quit Line have shown that financial incentives, such as small cash payments or vouchers, effectively increase quitting rates. No reports of harm or negative effects have emerged from these incentives, making them a safe way to encourage smoking cessation.

Staff support for Tobacco Quit Line referrals involves training staff to better connect smokers with quitline services. This method has been implemented in various locations without any negative safety reports. The goal is to strengthen the link between smokers and helpful resources.

Overall, these components aim to help people quit smoking safely and effectively. There are no known safety risks associated with participating in these programs. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to encourage people to quit smoking by linking them to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL). One approach uses consumer incentives to motivate smokers to call the Quit Line immediately, which is a unique strategy compared to traditional referral methods that don't offer immediate rewards. Another approach enhances how Salvation Army staff integrate Quit Line referrals into their daily routines, aiming to make the process more seamless and effective. These strategies could improve the accessibility and uptake of smoking cessation support, potentially leading to higher quit rates.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for helping people quit smoking?

Studies have shown that offering rewards can help people stop smoking. One study found that financial rewards increased the likelihood of quitting smoking permanently. Additionally, research indicates that quitlines, which are phone counseling services, can boost the chances of quitting by about 60% compared to not using them. In this trial, one arm will focus on incentivized immediate referral to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL), where Salvation Army personnel will implement an incentive strategy to encourage immediate referrals. Another arm will provide enhanced WTQL referral implementation support without consumer incentives, serving as an active comparator. Feedback that encourages habit change also appears to assist smokers in quitting. These findings suggest that combining rewards, quitline referrals, and motivational feedback could effectively help people stop smoking. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Danielle McCarthy, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 who are involved with the Salvation Army, either receiving or providing social services, and can communicate in English, Spanish, or another language with interpreter support. It's not open to children under 18 or those unable to speak a common language.

Inclusion Criteria

Involved in the management, delivery, or receipt of social services at a participating Salvation Army site, or a member of the University of Wisconsin-Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention Outreach Team supporting Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line implementation

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot communicate in the same language as the study team or an available interpreter.

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Implementation Planning

Planning and preparation for implementing strategies to connect consumers with the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line

3 months

Implementation

Pilot testing and refining enhanced implementation support and incentive strategies at Salvation Army sites

18 months

Ongoing support and training sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for effectiveness of the implementation strategies and tobacco use outcomes

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Cognitive-Motivational Feedback
• Consumer Incentives for Immediate Referral to a Tobacco Quit Line
• Staff Tobacco Quit Line Referral Implementation Support

Trial Overview The study tests how effective different methods are at helping tobacco users quit. This includes cognitive-motivational feedback, staff training on referring people to a Tobacco Quit Line, and offering incentives for immediate referrals.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Incentivized Immediate Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) Referral Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

In this experimental condition, Salvation Army personnel will implement an incentive strategy designed to encourage Salvation Army consumers to accept immediate referral to the WTQL. The incentive strategy will be adapted by Salvation Army personnel to fit in the local context, and staff will receive training and ongoing support in implementation of the incentive strategy. The modest incentives will be added in a staggered manner across the 2 Salvation Army sites participating in this pilot trial, after at least 3 months of implementing WTQL referral without consumer incentives for immediate calls.

Group II: Enhanced Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) Referral Implementation Support Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Both participating sites in this pilot study will be in this experimental enhanced implementation support arm to help us iteratively enhance the feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability of implementation strategies to support WTQL referral in these sites. Salvation Army personnel at participating sites will receive implementation training and ongoing support to help enhance the fit of WTQL referral in their workflows, culture, and climate, and to enhance staff readiness to connect the consumers they serve with the WTQL. No consumer incentives for connecting with the Quit Line immediately by phone will be offered in this arm so it can serve as active comparator condition for the incentivized arm described below.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,249

Recruited

3,255,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials

14,080

Recruited

41,180,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A study involving 1,217 participants found that personalized feedback significantly improved smoking cessation rates, with continuous abstinence at 3 and 12 months being twice as high in the feedback group compared to others.

In contrast, while a financial incentive increased the use of self-help materials, it did not improve cessation rates and was linked to higher relapse rates among those who quit.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation interventions with a self-help smoking cessation program. Curry, SJ., Wagner, EH., Grothaus, LC.[2019]

In a study involving 35 smokers, those who were more dependent on nicotine (smoking within 5 minutes of waking) required a higher financial incentive to quit, highlighting the varying motivations among smokers.

The use of a willingness-to-accept (WTA) auction led to a 45% quit rate among participants who won the auction, compared to only 20% for those who did not win, suggesting that tailored financial incentives can significantly enhance smoking cessation success.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Going Once, Going Twice: Using Willingness-to-Accept Auctions to Promote Smoking Cessation. Quisenberry, AJ., Shaw, S., Ferketich, AK., et al.[2021]

A pay-for-performance program significantly increased the rate of referrals to tobacco quitline services, with intervention clinics referring 11.4% of smokers compared to only 4.2% in usual care clinics, based on a study involving 49 clinics.

The program was particularly effective in clinics that had previously been less engaged in quality improvement, demonstrating that financial incentives can enhance clinician referral rates to evidence-based smoking cessation resources.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized trial of a pay-for-performance program targeting clinician referral to a state tobacco quitline. An, LC., Bluhm, JH., Foldes, SS., et al.[2022]

A study involving 5200 Medicaid smokers showed that financial incentives significantly increased re-engagement in quitline services, with a dose-response effect observed; higher incentives led to higher re-engagement rates.

Mailed letters were more effective than phone calls for re-engagement, and the likelihood of re-engaging decreased as time since initial enrollment increased, highlighting the importance of timely interventions for smokers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Re-engagement of Low-Income Smokers in Quitline Services: Effects of Incentives and Method of Contact. Cummins, SE., Kirby, CA., Wong, S., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10858725/

A Review of Smoking Cessation Interventions - PubMed Central Moreover, attempting to quit smoking without any structured approach yielded a mere 3%-5% success rate within the same timeframe [7]. This study ...

2. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02295-2

Efficacy of digital interventions for smoking cessation by ... SMS interventions demonstrated the highest efficacy (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.38–1.92), indicating a 63% increased smoking cessation success compared ...

3. mhealth.jmir.org mhealth.jmir.org/2022/11/e41658

Outcomes of a Comprehensive Mobile Smoking Cessation ... This study aimed to compare engagement, retention, attitudes toward quitting smoking, smoking behavior, and participant feedback between Pivot and QuitGuide.

4. tobaccopreventioncessation.com tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Development-and-preliminary-evaluation-of-a-structured-and-personalized-self-help,208808,0,2.html

Development and preliminary evaluation of a structured ... Results: Of the 97 participants enrolled, 47 completed the program. At six weeks, 57.4% reported smoking cessation, all on the scheduled quit ...

5. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/ntr/article/24/11/1763/6574261

Long-Term Effectiveness of a Clinician-Assisted Digital ... Quit Genius participants evidenced higher rates of self-reported sustained abstinence compared with those who received the control intervention, ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2762932/

Cognitive barriers to calling a smoking quitline - PMC This study examined cognitive barriers that might prevent cigarette smokers who are interested in quitting from calling a smoking quitline.

7. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06689774?locStr=United+States&country=United+States&aggFilters=status%3A

Salvation Army Tobacco Quit Line Referral Implementation ... Salvation Army personnel will be trained to offer adult consumers who use tobacco cognitive-motivational feedback about tobacco use via a no- ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335519300038

Quitline treatment dose predicts cessation outcomes ... Most smokers received minimal or no treatment, and treatment dose had a large impact on abstinence. Results highlight the importance of improving engagement in ...

9. tobaccopreventioncessation.com tobaccopreventioncessation.com/An-exploration-of-attitudes-regarding-the-use-of-a-state-tobacco-Quitline-for-smoking,193572,0,2.html

An exploration of attitudes regarding the use of a state ... This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs associated with engagement with the Illinois Tobacco Quitline among confirmed smoking patients.

10. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1179173X241261302

Testing a Brief Quitline Intervention for Tobacco Cannabis ... The present paper describes a randomized pilot study of a tailored intervention for cannabis and cigarette co-users. The intervention combines the quitline ...