RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Telephone care co-ordination for tobacco cessation: randomised trials testing proactive versus reactive models JF Tobacco Control JO Tob Control FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 78 OP 82 DO 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053327 VO 27 IS 1 A1 Scott E Sherman A1 Paul Krebs A1 Laura S York A1 Sharon E Cummins A1 Ware Kuschner A1 Sebnem Guvenc-Tuncturk A1 Shu-Hong Zhu YR 2018 UL http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/27/1/78.abstract AB Objectives We conducted two parallel studies evaluating the effectiveness of proactive and reactive engagement approaches to telephone treatment for smoking cessation.Methods Patients who smoked and were interested in quitting were referred to this study and were eligible if they were current smokers and had an address and a telephone number. The data were collected at 35 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sites, part of four VA medical centres in both California and Nevada. In study 1, participants received multisession counselling from the California Smokers’ Helpline (quitline). In study 2, they received self-help materials only. Patients were randomly assigned by week to either proactive or reactive engagement, and primary care staff were blind to this assignment. Providers gave brief advice and referred them via the electronic health record to a tobacco co-ordinator. All patients were offered cessation medications.Outcome Using complete case analysis, in study 1 (quitline), patients in the proactive condition were more likely than those in the reactive condition to report abstinence at 6 months (21.0% vs 16.4%, p=0.03). No difference was found between conditions in study 2 (self-help) (16.9% vs 16.5%, p=0.88). Proactive outreach resulted in increased use of cessation medications in both the quitline (70.1% vs 57.6%, p<0.0001) and the self-help studies (74.5% vs 48.2%, p<0.0001).Conclusion Proactive outreach with quitline intervention was associated with greater long-term abstinence. Both studies resulted in high rates of medication use. Sites should use a proactive outreach approach and provide counselling whenever possible.Trial registration number NCT00123682.