Learning Objectives: Describe the development process and three recommended components of a tobacco quit program for Alaska Natives
Abstract:
Problem/Objective:To develop a comprehensive tobacco cessation program for Southeast Alaska Natives.
Methods:The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Tobacco Program received a one-year Innovative Projects, Priority Populations grant from the American Legacy Foundation to create infrastructure within SEARHC to implement a comprehensive tobacco cessation program. This program would provide cessation services to Alaska Natives living in rural villages throughout Southeast Alaska. This project will focus on building a long-term plan for cessation, overcoming financial, administrative, and clinical barriers, and developing the capacity to train staff regionally/locally. The data-collection for this project consists of qualitative interviews with a variety of groups within SEARHC to better understand the barriers to implementing cessation activities and to ensure the program developed meets identified needs.
Results:The research is still being conducted, however preliminary findings show a need for: 1. a better understanding about tobacco cessation and what a comprehensive program should include, 2. more training in the area of tobacco and tobacco cessation, 3.use the word "quit", do not use the word cessation because it is easily confused with "sensation", 4. there is a concern as to who will do the counseling and whether it will mean more work for some employees, and 5. providers should not receive incentives for referring patients/clients on for tobacco cessation counseling.
Conclusions:Since data collection is still in the process, there are no conclusions thus far, but it is projected that the tobacco program will provide cessation counseling training to all staff that are interested and will hire new counselors for each SEARHC clinic to provide comprehensive cessation services.
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