Learning Objectives: Describe two tools that can be used to measure a quality improvement process for implementing a prenatal smoking cessation intervention
Abstract: In the area of prenatal smoking cessation, there is a unique opportunity to apply the results of clinical trials that demonstrate the effectiveness of a brief intervention to help pregnant women quit smoking. The mission of the Smoke-Free Families National Dissemination Office is to increase the adoption, reach, and impact of new clinical practice guidelines known as the "5 As". Smoke-Free Families is funding three prenatal demonstration projects across the country to use a systems and quality improvement approach in helping providers incorporate the "5 As" into routine prenatal care services. Organizational theory posits that the level of experience with tobacco-related programs, the stage of readiness to incorporate new clinical processes, and the extent to which systems changes and quality improvements can be made, will predict the success of implementing new smoking cessation interventions. Three potential tools for measuring these organizational characteristics will be highlighted; 1) a scoring mechanism for rating the level of experience with smoking cessation programs, 2) the Organizational Change Manager Surveyİ for assessing readiness to change, and 3) a modified systems change and quality improvement survey adopted from chronic care models. Analyzing both quantitative and qualitative results from these tools can provide a baseline level of preparedness and a roadmap of improvements that need to be made in order to successfully deliver effective smoking cessation services. Preliminary results from the first prenatal demonstration project will be used to illustrate how this type of process evaluation data can be shared with project staff and used for planning and decision-making purposes.
Back to Evaluation and Surveillance Posters
Back to Evaluation and Surveillance
Back to The 2002 National Conference on Tobacco or Health