Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Quitters Referring Smokers: A Quitline Chain-Referral Pilot Study, Kathryn Delaughter, Julie E. Volkman, Barrett D. Phillips, Thomas K. Houston

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

Background: Telephone counseling Quitlines can support smoking cessation, but are under-utilized. We explored the use of smoker peer-referrals to increase use of a Quitline in Mississippi and Alabama.

Findings: Collaborating with the Alabama and Mississippi Quitline, we piloted peer-referrals to Quitlines. Successful ‘quitters’ who had used the Quitline were contacted at routine follow-up and recruited to participate as a peer-referrer and refer their friends and family who smoked to the Quitline. Peer-referrers completed a training session, received a manual and a set of Quitline brochures a peer-referral forms. These peer-referral forms were then returned to the Quitline telephone counselors who …