Last Updated: September 2023

Author: Tobacco Control Program, Vermont Department of Health

The curve represents the number of Quitline registrants who completed four or more calls with an 802Quits Quitline counselor. Methodology for this measure changed in 2022 and 2023 where we are only looking at unique registrants instead of all registrants, and now rather than quarters, we are seeing a 6-month reporting time frame. This change created a significant decrease in those completing the 4 or more sessions.

The more counseling sessions that a registrant has with a Quitline coach, the greater the likelihood of a successful quit attempt.

The Vermont Tobacco Control Program (VTCP) works closely with their Quitline contractor, National Jewish Health, to monitor the participation of registrants as well as confirm delivery of quality coaching services. National Jewish Health (NJH) trains its coaches to be capable and effective at meeting the needs of those seeking Quitline services. Some populations, including pregnant smokers, may need additional support and tailored counseling sessions that a Quitline like NJH can be prepared to offer through training its coaches. Through the addition of financial incentives, we aim to increase the number of completed counseling sessions.

The tobacco program also works to encourage use of the Quitline through mass reach media. Hard-hitting ads are effective in reaching those who smoke and inciting them to reach out to the Quitline.¹ The VTCP also runs ads that increase awareness and trust in our state’s 802Quits resources which in addition to the Quitline includes Online services and Quit Partners, trained tobacco treatment specialists who serve in communities across the state.

[1] Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs—2014

Together these performance measures focus on whether Vermonters are better off as a result of the Health Department's Tobacco Control Program. They do so by looking at the quality and efficiency of these programs and services. This performance measure is important because it measures if Vermonters are likely to experience successful tobacco treatment counseling.

• National Jewish Health- The program's quitline contractor who provides the quitline and quit-online services and sends the program monthly 802Quits reports.
• Rinck- The Tobacco Program's contractor which provides behavior change media interventions and communication tools for youth and adults including the CounterBalance campaign, 802quits.org and adult cessation media. Rescue works with several other companies that have expertise in provider engagement including HMC Advertising, CrowdProof, and Upstream.
• Department Vermont Health Access- The Vermont Medicaid office collaborates with the program on expanding and promoting the cessation benefit and 802Quits resources for Medicaid beneficiaries.
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)- The program uses CDC's Tips from Former Smokers in mass-reach health communications
• Professional Data Analysts- The Tobacco Control's external evaluator who collects and analyzes our data, and helps build strategic plans.

The CDC emphasizes in Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs the importance of those that want to quit tobacco participating in one ten-minute reactive call as well as three Quitline initiated calls[1]. The more calls that a participant is involved in increases the likelihood of a successful quit. Participating in counselling calls, along with taking advantage of the free short and long acting nicotine replacement therapy, increases the chances of a successful quit attempt.

Quitting tobacco has beneficial short and long term health impacts no matter one’s age. Chronic disease kills more Vermonters than all other causes combined. Three behaviors (no physical activity, poor diet, and tobacco use) lead to the four diseases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease which result in more than 50% of deaths in Vermont. Reaching Vermonters that want to quit and supplying the needed cessation support will reduce the number of Vermonters suffering from chronic disease.

[1] Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs—2014

• Review of the efficacy of promotional efforts by reviewing the Quitline data.
• Promote the Quitline through CDC Tips, locally produced advertisements, digital media, social media engagement, and mailings.
• Support the work of the program's Quitline vendor, NJH, to create a protocol for use with callers experiencing depression. Ideally the protocol will increase the number of calls completed by those experiencing depression.
• Expand the suite of tailored Quitline programs by adding one to serve Indigenous Americans.
• Meet with the Quitline vendor 24 times to assure the Quitline meets quality expectations.