The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The Canadian Cancer Society's Smokers' Helpline delivers an evidence-based service that provides personalized support, advice and information about quitting smoking via the telephone. This population-based cessation treatment uses non-designated counselors to deliver an effective service by combining telephone counseling, computer guided software and continuous quality improvement processes, including ongoing staff development. This approach to cessation treatment aims to maximize reach, while maintaining low-costs, and providing a quality, effective intervention that is tailored to individual callers.

Methods: Smokers' Helpline provides both reactive and proactive support and advice for smokers across all stages of change, as well as, for family members and friends helping a smoker quit. Staff are hired with post-secondary education and some counseling/supportive experience, however they are not counselors with a professional designation. Customized software supports caller interaction, record keeping, and quality assurance. Staff receive comprehensive orientation prior to beginning service provision and then participate in ongoing monitoring and coaching in order to further develop counseling skills, meet service delivery expectations, and provide the intervention, tailored to individual needs.

Results: Smokers' Helpline Ontario is an evaluated service handling more than 10,000 calls annually. Satisfaction is measured at 30 day follow up: 88% of respondents were very or mostly satisfied with, and 93% would recommend, the service. Clients rated staff to be knowledgeable (96%), supportive (96%) and non-judgmental (92%). Impact measured at 6 month follow up: 85% of respondents take action towards quitting. Overall program quit rate 10.3% prolonged abstinence.