Caller satisfaction with the Cannabis Information and Helpline

Abstract

We assessed caller satisfaction with an illicit drug helpline in Australia (the Cannabis Information and Helpline, CIH). A 10-min telephone interview was conducted with 200 volunteers who called the service during 2009 (121 called regarding themselves and 79 called regarding another person's cannabis use). Callers were a mean of 43 years of age and typically female (59%). Callers showed high levels of satisfaction with the service: the mean CSQ-8 score was 28.2 (SD = 4.3). Participants who found the service easy to access and those who felt their needs were met reported the highest satisfaction. A linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the significant predictors of participants' satisfaction with the CIH. The ease with which the participant was able to get through to a counsellor (standardized beta = 2.37, P < 0.02) and whether the participant felt that all their needs were met (standardized beta = -4.26, P < 0.001) were the only significant predictors of total satisfaction with the call. Despite the recognition that telephone services are possibly the easiest health-care service to access, ensuring consistent availability and accessibility remains paramount although not easy.