Tobacco-Related Knowledge Among Employees at Substance Use Treatment and Medical Healthcare Centers Serving Rural and...

Tobacco use, and particularly cigarette smoking, is elevated among patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), resulting in health inequities. In rural and medically underserved areas (MUAs), healthcare access is limited; thus, patients with SUDs may receive care in substance use treatment centers (SUTCs) and/or medical healthcare centers (MHCs). Healthcare providers in these settings should know the importance and benefits of quitting tobacco use for patients with SUDs, as this is essential for effective cessation care. This study examined baseline provider knowledge/training receipt and knowledge gains following training in SUTCs and MHCs serving rural and MUAs of Texas, USA.

From 2021 to 2024, 428 providers from 8 SUTCs and 8 MHCs completed an e-survey on tobacco knowledge and past-year training. They then completed 1 to 1.5 h of training. Knowledge gain was assessed via a 10-item test delivered pre- and post-training.

Pre-training knowledge and past-year training rates were low across settings; providers at SUTCs were more likely than those at MHCs to know that persons with behavioral disorders like substance misuse are 2 times more likely to smoke than the general USA population. Both groups demonstrated significant knowledge gains from training (SUTCs: 37.41% and MHCs: 45.92% increases; ps < 0.0001).

Findings support the need for routine tobacco training in healthcare centers serving rural and MUAs of Texas. Brief educational sessions may help address provider knowledge gaps and, ultimately, strengthen cessation care and reduce tobacco-related disparities in these settings.