Developing a Collaborative, Team-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment Program in an Outpatient Oncology Setting

Because clinical specialists often lack time and training to address secondary health issues such as smoking cessation, the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) has mobilized cancer centers to develop systems for treating patients' tobacco dependence.

One university-based cancer center was able to develop a program that formalized smoking treatment using a collaborative, multidisciplinary care team with overlapping expertise in cancer care, medication management, and tobacco cessation. Program planners delivered tobacco cessation services in the outpatient setting by automating identification of eligible patients using a tobacco registry in the electronic health records, directly involving oncology pharmacists in medication oversight, using dedicated tobacco treatment specialists to provide cessation services, and engaging oncologists through active communications protocols. Evaluators used Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model as the guiding framework for a qualitative assessment of program development and implementation. Evaluators also measured provider satisfaction and utilization of services, program reach, and smoking cessation outcomes 6 months post enrollment.

During the evaluation period (July 1, 2018-September 30, 2019), the smoking cessation program engaged 96% of eligible patients (n = 214 of 223 eligible); 82% of those enrolled in the program (n = 183). At 6-month follow-up, 29.1% of enrolled patients self-reported 30-day point prevalence abstinence (n = 53) and 34.9% (n = 64) reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence (intent-to-treat rates).

Using a team-based approach that leverages individual expertise and interprofessional collaboration to provide patient-centered treatment, a smoking cessation program can identify and treat eligible patients in specialty clinics.