This abstract describes a study evaluating a statewide cessation program in Florida that partners with CareerSource Florida (CS), an organization providing employment services to over 1 million unemployed Floridians per year, to recruit tobacco users to cessation services. Through a fax referral process, CS referred over 2,000 tobacco users to the state quitline or website in the first six months of 2015, with a 26.2% enrollment rate. Compared to referrals from physicians (32.2% enrollment rate) and electronic health records (no enrollment rate provided), CS referrals resulted in more total enrollments and reached certain at-risk demographic groups like African Americans at higher rates. Outcome data on program use and quit rates for CS en

1. 2016 Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Conference
Chicago, Illinois
Accepted Abstract Submission – March 2016
Topic:
PublicHealth:CommunityIntervention
Study Type:
Cohortstudy
Keywords:
Cessation,Education/TrainingProfessionals
Title:
USING EMPLOYMENT INFRASTRUCTURETO RECRUIT FOR STATEWIDE CESSATION PROGRAMS:
REFERRALS,ENROLLMENTS, ANDOUTCOMES
Abstract Body:
To sustainablyincrease enrollmentsincessationservicesthe CDCrecommendssystemschange within
organizationsservingtobaccousers.Effortswithinhealth-relatedagenciesare common;however,less
attentionhasbeenpaidtonon-medical recruitmentsources.In2015, the state of Florida
institutionalizedafax referral processwithinCareerSource Florida(CS),whichprovidesemploymentand
otherservicestomore than one millionunemployedFloridiansperyear.Tobaccousersare identified
and referredtoquitline,website,andin-personcessationservices.
Thisabstract describesreferralsandenrollmentstothe CSprogramto quitline andwebsite services,
comparedto non-CSenrolleesandenrollmentsfromphysicianfax referrals(PR) andEHRreferralsfrom
countyhealthdepartmentclinics.CSenrolleeswillbe comparedtoPRenrolleesandnon-CSenrolleeson
program use and30-day pointprevalence abstinence,collectedsevenmonthspost-enrollment.
From January – June 2015, CS referred2,398 tobacco usersto the quitline orwebsite,of whom26.2%
enrolled(n=627,comparedto 28,319 non-CSenrollments).The PRprogram, the mostrelevant
comparisonforthismeasure,resultedin1,788 referralsanda 32.2% conversionrate (n=575). EHR
resultedin861 enrollments.
Comparedtoeach of the three comparisongroups,CSenrolleesweresignificantlymore likelytobe
AfricanAmerican.Theywere significantlyyoungerandmore likelytobe uninsuredthanall non-CSand
PR enrollees,andhadlowereducationlevelsthanall non-CSenrollees.Incontrast,EHR enrolleeswere
significantlyyounger,Hispanic,anduninsured;andhadlowereducationlevelsthanCSenrollees.Full
resultsonprogram use andquitrates will be presented.
In sum,CS resultedinmore referralsthanthe PRprogram, addingmore than2% of enrolleestothe
quitline andwebsite.Itsconversionrate fallswithinatypical range of 20%-50%. CSservesunemployed
tobacco userswhosmoke at higherratesthanthose employed,andreachesseveral important
demographicgroups. Earlyevidence suggestsCSisamodel non-medical referralsource.
Authors: Anne Betzner,Jane Parker,JulieRainey,MarilynLeeds,Katherine Rehorst,ElisiaNorton