Details of HTA project
Last updated: 9 March 2010 - Next update due: 16 March 2010
Research type: |
Secondary Research (e.g. systematic review) |
Project title: |
Relapse prevention in NHS stop smoking services: Current practice, potential effectiveness and cost effectiveness |
 Outputs in journals arising from this project
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Project ref: |
06/32/01 |
Cost: |
£137,729 |
Chief Investigator : |
Professor Ann McNeill, Professor of Health Policy and Promotion, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham |
Start Date: |
June 2007 |
Publication date: |
December 2010. This project is at the editorial review stage. Delays in the review process can cause the forecast publication date to be delayed. |
Plain English Summary |
Many smokers who try to stop are successful for a period but, as time passes after their quit attempt has started, many start smoking again (i.e. relapse). Effective NHS Stop Smoking Services (SSS) help smokers to stop, but if fewer 'quitters' relapsed to smoking, then these services could be even more effective than they already are. This project will review current research to determine whether or not treatments that aim to prevent relapse by smokers who are trying to quit are effective and whether or not the research conducted to date on this issue is relevant to SSS. It will also investigate the possibility of either testing out or introducing these kinds of treatments into routine SSS clinical practise. As little is known about the relapse rates that smokers who quit using NHS SSS might experience, we will find and collate what is known about this from reports of previous studies. A key part of this study is to determine whether or not treatments for preventing relapse to smoking could possibly represent good value to the NHS. To find this out, we need to combine estimates of the likely impact that these treatments can have with figures for the potential costs of delivering these. To derive informed estimates of the costs required to deliver such treatments, we will conduct a postal survey of NHS SSS. Additionally, to provide some idea of the numbers of smokers that could be helped at any one time after their quit attempt has begun, we will derive 'relapse curves' from previous studies' data which will show the proportion of smokers that are still abstinent at any time after starting a quit attempt. All of these data will be combined in an analysis to determine the likely costs incurred by the NHS when delivering treatments to prevent relapse in the context of the potential health gains that might be experienced. The research team has wide experience of smoking cessation and health economic research, having conducted experimental and observational studies in NHS SSS settings. Data are already available to enable this project to be undertaken without any ethical problems but the synthesis of data from multiple sources will be complicated so the principal costs requested are for researcher time to complete the study within a rapid 18 month time frame. |
Project Abstract: |
Many smokers who try to stop are successful for a period of time but then relapse. NHS Stop Smoking Services (SSS) help smokers to stop, but if they could also decrease the proportion that relapses then they could be even more effective. This project involves a systematic review of research to determine whether relapse prevention interventions (RPIs) are effective (an update of the existing Cochrane review). We will also carry out qualitative pilot research and a postal survey with smoking cessation professionals to ascertain current delivery of RPIs and to assess whether the systematic review data are relevant to SSS. As little is known about the relapse rates that smokers who quit using SSS might experience, we will carry out a systematic review of relevant trial data and derive 'relapse curves'. We will then compare available individual data from SSS users with the trial data to obtain 'best-estimate' relapse curves for SSS users. A key part of this study is to determine whether or not RPIs represent good value to the NHS. To do this we will combine estimates of the likely impact that RPIs can have with figures for the potential costs of delivering these. We will use the research with smoking cessation professionals to derive informed estimates of the costs required to deliver RPIs. All of the above data will be combined in an analysis to determine the likely costs incurred by the NHS when delivering RPIs in the context of the potential health gains that might be experienced. Finally the research will investigate the feasibility of either testing or introducing these RPIs into routine SSS clinical practice. |
NRR* number, if applicable: |
N0484196288 (*National Research Register). The National Research Register was a public database of ongoing and recently completed research projects funded by, or of interest to, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS). It is now an archive of projects from early 2000 to September 2007. Search the NRR archive. |
Project Protocol: |
Project protocol not available |
URL of this page: |
http://www.hta.ac.uk/1617 |
Outputs from this project
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