Client Satisfaction With English Stop Smoking Services

Abstract

This study reports client satisfaction in five UK National Health Service (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSS) and examines the impact of satisfaction on outcome four weeks postquit. Six 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. The two surveys were 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 to stop smoking and would they recommend the service to another smoker. Surveys were completed anonymously but had unique identification numbers so they could be linked to individual demographic and outcome data. Overall 10% (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 unrepresentative of the population of treated smokers in terms of eligibility for free prescriptions, ethnicity, age, type of treatment experienced, the type of advisor seen, medication use and end of treatment outcome. Satisfaction at week two was not related to abstinence at four weeks postquit. Limitations of the study and suggestions for service delivery are discussed.