Client satisfaction with English stop smoking services

Authors:
Sylvia May and Andy McEwen

Presenter:
Sylvia May
Administrator/ Researcher, Smoking Cessation Service Research Network (SCSRN), North Woodchester, UK

Abstract
This study reports client satisfaction in five UK National Health Service (NHS) stop smoking services (SSS) and examines the impact of satisfaction on treatment outcome. Services were selected on the basis of perceived ability to run the study from a pool of 11 who responded to a mailshot to volunteer. Advisors made one of two satisfaction surveys available to their clients two weeks after quitting smoking: A ‘brief’ three item survey and a ‘full’ survey containing those items plus 19 others about specific aspects of the service. There were two key items: how satisfied respondents were with the support they received and would they recommend the service to another smoker. Surveys were anonymous but had unique identification numbers for linking to individual demographic and outcome data. Overall ten percent (554/5520) of treated smokers in the services completed a survey, 7% (390/5520) completed the ‘full’ survey. Responses were a strong endorsement of the participating services, with 93% (505/542) satisfied or very satisfied with the service and 99% (548/552) prepared to recommend the service. The sample was not representative of the population of treated smokers in some dimensions. Satisfaction at week two was not related to outcome at the end of treatment.

Source of funding: Part funded: Department of Health,
Cancer Research UK, Pfizer.

Declaration of interest: Sylvia May’s post as SCSRN Administrator is funded by Pfizer Ltd. Andy McEwen has received travel funding, honorariums and consultancy payments from manufacturers of smoking cessation products (Pfizer Ltd, Novartis and GSK Consumer Healthcare Ltd). He also receives payment for providing training to smoking cessation specialists and receives royalties from books on smoking cessation. He is a director of the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference (UKNSCC).