Rheumatology telephone helpline services

Experience with a Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi rheumatology telephone helpline.

OBJECTIVES To investigate what proportion of patients attending a rheumatology unit in Birmingham, UK, require interpretation services and to assess the use of an Asian language telephone helpline we have established for those who find it easier to communicate in Punjabi, Urdu or Hindi than in English. METHODS Our patients' requirement for interpretation services and their ability to read the...

A survey of rheumatology nurse specialists providing telephone helpline advice within England and Wales.

OBJECTIVE To characterize provision of telephone helpline services in rheumatology units in England and Wales. METHODS A questionnaire study of rheumatology nurse specialists (RNS) providing advice by a designated telephone helpline in England and Wales. RESULTS Responses were obtained from 164/185 rheumatology units (89%). Of the responding units, 154 (94%) employed RNS and 146 units provi...

RailTel: Railway Telephone Services

Impact of a telephone helpline for smokers who called during a mass media campaign.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a telephone helpline (Quitline) with additional support (written information) on callers who use the service during a mass media campaign. DESIGN Telephone recall surveys of callers to the helpline carried out two months and one year after their initial call. SETTING Telephone helpline. SUBJECTS Callers to the helpline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Smoking b...

A Helpline Telephone Service for Tobacco Related Issues: The Italian Experience

Antismoking helplines have become an integral part of tobacco control efforts in many countries, including Italy. The demonstrated efficacy and the convenience of telephone based counselling have led to the fast adoption of antismoking helplines. However, information on how these helplines operate in actual practice is not often readily available. This paper provides an overview of the Italian ...