A TRIAGED QUIT SMOKING PROGRAM FOR HOSPITALS AND HMOS

THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST AN EFFECTIVE,COMMERCIALLY VIABLE, SELF-HELP PROGRAM FOR TREATING TOBACCO DEPENDENCE IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS. THROUGH EVALUATIONS WITH PHYSICIANS AND THEIR STAFFS FROM HOSPITALS AND HMOS, A REPLICABLE TRAINING AND COUNSELING PROTOCOL WITH INTERVENTION AIDS WILL BE DESIGNED TO AUGMENT THE NCI MANUALFOR PHYSICIANS ON "HOW TO HELP YOUR PATIENTS STOP SMOKING". THE FREE AND CLEAR SELF-HELP NICOTINE FADING GUIDE, DEVELOPED AND EVALUATED IN AN ONGOING NCI-FUNDED CLINICAL TRIAL, COMBINED WITH COUNSELOR-INITIATED "QUITLINE" CALLS FOUND TO BOOST LONG-TERM QUIT RATES BY 50 PERCENT, WILL FORMTHE NUCLEUS OF THE INTERVENTION. A NOVEL, "INSTANT" COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENT AND TRIAGE INSTRUMENT WILL BE TESTED. THE PROTOCOLS, MATERIALS, AND SYSTEMS WILL BE PRETESTED, THEN THE INTERVENTION STRATEGY WILL BE PILOT-TESTED WITH ABOUT 50 SMOKERS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 5 TO 10 PHYSICIANS IN FOUR HEALTH CARE FACILITIES. EVALUATIONS WILL FOCUS ON FEASIBILITY, PROVIDERAND PATIENT ACCEPTANCE, AND OVERALL COST EFFECTIVENESS. EVALUATIONS WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY QUESTIONNAIRES AND THROUGH FOLLOWUP INTERVIEWS WITH PATIENTS.