Terry R. Reid, MSW Jan Schnellman, MEd

1. Terry R. Reid, MSW Jan Schnellman, MEd Quitline Promotion: Creating Demand for Services

2. Learning Objectives Explain how media presents multiple opportunities for Quitline promotion. Explain how Quitline demand can be driven by health care systems changes and provider education Recognize value of health care provider outreach to drive referral to Quitline Describe effective methods to train health care providers on services provided by Quitline

3. Quitline Awareness Levels 55% of healthcare providers in Washington have heard about the Quitline (2006 Healthcare Practices survey) 74% of adult smokers in Washington have heard about the Quitline (2010 BRFSS) (“Heard about” does not mean they understand how it works) After several years of active promotion there is still work to do.

4. Media Promotion Paid advertising 1-800-Quit Now Quitline Makes News Earned media Internet media Collateralmaterials

5. Paid Advertising Effective advertising is expensive. Requires setting a target audience and researching messages. • Demographics and readiness to quit An effective ad will motivate a quit attempt and increase awareness about the Quitline. The media buy must be robust and targeted. 1-800-Quit Now

6. Example of Paid Advertising The “Dear Me” campaign: Targeted “working poor” tobacco users ages 25-45 Used “real people” telling their story, not actors Messages have emotional impact and empower quitting • “nobody can make me quit but me” Ads ran in Washington and 10 other states and prompted significant increases in calls

7. Example of Paid Advertising Insert Dear Me video here

8. Paid Advertising Drives Calls How Callers Reported Hearing About the Quitline

9. Earned Media Getting the Quitline in the news • News releases, editorials, newsletter articles Messages range from detailed information about services to just the phone number Requires well written product that is newsworthy and follow up with media outlets Newsletters effective in reaching targeted groups (employers and providers) Earned media is “free’ but labor intensive Quitline Makes News

10. Examples of Earned Media New Year’s resolution news release Adding Quitline number to news releases about latest smoking rates or research Mother’s Day Op-ed from public health to encourage quitting Newsletter article for provider’s about new Medicaid cessation benefit that includes Quitline

11. Internet Media Can be either free or paid Developing a cessation website is useful • Self-help tools, list of local resources, explanation of Quitline, “click to call” feature • becomeanex.org is good example Emerging opportunities using social media • Motivational text messages • Facebook connections to other quitters

12. Collateral materials Range from materials to supplement a media campaign to educational brochures for health care clinics Can be very targeted and culturally and language specific Limitations: requires research and plan for dissemination

13. Examples of Collateral Material

14. Comprehensive Campaign Example TV and radio ads targeting adult smokers using humor and tagged with Quitline number and web site (quitline.com) News release to launch campaign Web site branded with Cold Turkey, self help tools, local resources and “click to call” Collateral materials (posters, T-shirts, ) Washington’s Cold Turkey campaign:

15. Provider Outreach Program Outreach Program Goals: Increase the capacity of clinics and hospitals to identify tobacco users Advise patients who use tobacco to quit Refer those who are ready to quit to available cessation resources

16. Results from a Provider Outreach Program Annual Mean Percent Change in Quit Line Registrations, 2007-2010

17. Results from a Provider Outreach Program Health Professional “How Heard Abouts” as a Percent of Total Quit Line Calls.

18. Results from a Provider Outreach Program Fax Referrals as a Percent of Quit Line Calls, 2008-2010

19. Health Professional Training Topics: The Brief Tobacco Intervention Services and resources available through the Quitline Reaching specific tobacco users (e.g. mental health and chemical dependency, diabetes and other chronic disease patients)

20. Health Professional Training Methods: Face to face (train the trainer) Webinars Online training

21. Final Thoughts It’s critical to coordinate promotion with Quitline capacity Be strategic • Align with policy development • Target specific population group • Align with health care provider outreach Have a plan to “turn down the volume” Evaluate impact Consider outreach to health professionals that leads to systemic change in practices Identify resources for health care provider education and outreach

22. Discussion Questions Describe an effective strategy you have used to increase awareness of the Quitline. What limitations did you encounter in promoting awareness? How can you engage healthcare providers to promote the Quitline? How have you educated providers about implementing change to systems so that patients are routinely asked about tobacco use and referred for treatment?