Enhancing the Effect of Telephone Quitline Counseling Through Proactive Call-Back Counseling

摘要

In the current issue of CHEST (see page 1229),nSood and colleagues1 report on the outcome of anrandomized controlled trial evaluating reactive tele-nphone smoking-cessation counseling compared withnthe provision of mailed self-help materials on 7-daynpoint prevalence quit rates at up to 12-monthnfollow-up. The authors found no significant differ-ences in abstinence rates between the two randomizedngroups and concluded that supplemental reactiventelephone counseling did not provide better smok-ning-cessation outcomes than the use of self-helpneducational materials alone. They suggest that re-nactive telephone counseling, which relies on thensmoker to initiate calls to a helpline or quitline fornassistance with quitting smoking, may be inade-nquate possibly due to its infrequent use andnrecommend that consideration be given to incorpo-nrating a call-back counseling approach to reactiventelephone counseling. Call-back or proactive coun-nseling involves counselors actively calling smokersnwho initially contact a smoking-cessation quitlinenwith a call-back schedule tailored to the individual’snneeds, including during the preparation process andnpeak relapse risk periods.