Cell Phone Ownership and Service Plans Among Low-Income Smokers: The Hidden Cost of Quitlines.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Quitlines (QLs) are free, effective sources of treatment for tobacco dependence. Although the QL number is toll-free, the use of cell phones as the sole source of telephony may impose an unintended cost, in terms of cell minutes.

Objectives

To quantify the use of cell-only telephony among self-pay or Medicaid smokers, assess their calling plans, and estimate the impact of a typical course of QL counseling.

Methods

A survey of smokers age at least 18 years visiting an American urban emergency department from April to July, 2013.

Results

Seven-hundred seventy-three smokers were surveyed, of whom 563 (72.8%) were low-income, defined as having Medicaid or no insurance. All low-income smokers had at least one phone: 48 (8.5%) reported land-lines only, 159

SUBMITTER: Bernstein SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4941601 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature