Evaluation of the Bedfordshire Stop Smoking Service
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of the change from face-to-face to telephone Stop Smoking Service support and its effects on underserved communities in Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
IRAS ID
316107
Contact name
Lynne Dawkins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London South Bank University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
reserachregistry7920, Research Registry
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Stop Smoking Services (SSS) in England have helped millions of smokers quit but are currently changing because less people are using them. The use of telephones could be beneficial because it could make it easier for people to talk to and use SSS. People who smoke are sometimes from underserved communities, and so the use of telephones could help reduce health inequalities caused by smoking. However, if people find it difficult to use telephones or they do not like talking about smoking over the telephone, then SSS may no longer work. The aim of this evaluation is to find out what happens when SSS change to telephone support and in particular, how this affects underserved communities.
We will use a mix of methods to explore telephone delivery across three Local Authorities: Central Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire Borough and Milton Keynes (collectively referred to as the shared BMK SSS). We will look at existing data to compare quit rates between face-to-face and telephone support. Economic methods will add up the costs of the change from face-to-face to telephones. Surveys, interviews and focus groups will explore how people using the service think and feel about the change. We will also talk to the professionals who deliver the service.
We aim to find out what happens when SSS change to telephone delivery. The findings will help councils in other areas make decisions about their SSS. The findings will be shared with Central Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire Borough and Milton Keynes councils and people who have participated in the project. They will also be circulated in academic and briefing papers for the public health sector.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
22/IEC08/0035
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion