Attachment 3 letter

attachment 3

Introductory Letter

[DATE]

[ADDRESS BLOCK]

Dear [RESPONDANT NAME],

The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have contracted with Westat, a national health research organization, to conduct an evaluation of the National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines Initiative. As part of this Quitline Network Initiative, the Federal government established a national toll-free tobacco quitline number in November, 2004.

From the outset, one of the key objectives of the Quitline Network Initiative has been to foster partnerships between the state quitlines and public and private entities who share a common interest with them, or with whom they can achieve mutual benefits. Since partners are so integral to the Initiative, it is critical to reflect their views and experiences in our evaluation. For that reason, we are writing to you today. [NAME OF REFERRING SOURCE] named you as a valuable partner to the [STATE NAME or STATE QL NAME] quitline.

We would like to arrange a time to conduct an interview with you about your activities in conjunction with the [STATE or STATE QL NAME] quitline and the initial effect of the Quitline Network Initiative. A Westat researcher will be calling you within the next few days to ask you to participate in this interview. If we happen to call at a bad time, please suggest an alternative that would be more convenient for you. Participation is voluntary and there will be no penalties if you decide not to respond to the information collection as a whole or any particular question.

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the evaluation, the interview, or if you would like to schedule your interview now, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-937-8281 ext. xxxx.

Thank you in advance for your help with this important evaluation. Your participation will help us better understand the cooperative environment in the smoking cessation community.

Sincerely,

A3-1