Effectiveness of the Tobacco Tactics Program in the Trinity Health System

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Clinical Interventions
• Tobacco Cessation

Background:

• Smoking remains a significant public health issue, particularly among hospitalized patients.
• Effective interventions are needed to support smoking cessation in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effectiveness of the Tobacco Tactics intervention in increasing smoking cessation rates among hospitalized patients.
• To compare quit rates in hospitals utilizing the intervention versus those providing usual care.

Main Methods:

• A pragmatic, quasi-experimental study involving 1,528 smokers across five Michigan hospitals.
• Three hospitals implemented the Tobacco Tactics intervention, while two served as control sites.
• Data collected via self-report surveys and cotinine tests at 6-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Self-reported quit rates increased from 5.7% to 16.5% (p<0.001) in intervention sites, compared to no change in control sites.
• Cotinine-verified quit rates improved from 4.3% to 8.0% (p<0.05) in intervention sites.
• Propensity-adjusted analyses confirmed significant improvements in self-reported quit rates.

Conclusions:

• The Tobacco Tactics intervention demonstrates significant effectiveness in improving smoking cessation among hospitalized patients.
• The intervention aligns with Joint Commission standards and has the potential to reduce inpatient smoking rates.
• This program offers a scalable solution for smoking cessation in hospital settings.