173. Systems Strategy 3. Dedicate staff to provide tobacco dependence treatment and assess the delivery of this treatment in staff performance evaluations
Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update
Text version of slide presentation.
| Action | Strategies for implementation |
|---|---|
| Clinical sites should communicate to all staff the importance of intervening with tobacco users and should designate a staff person (e.g., nurse, medical assistant, or other clinician) to coordinate tobacco dependence treatments. Non-physician personnel may serve as effective providers of tobacco dependence interventions. | Designate a tobacco dependence treatment coordinator for every clinical site.
Delineate the responsibilities of the tobacco dependence treatment coordinator; e.g., ensuring the systematic identification of smokers, ready access to evidence-based cessation treatments (e.g., quitlines), and scheduling of follow-up visits. Communicate to each staff member (e.g., nurse, physician, medical assistant, pharmacist, or other clinician) his or her responsibilities in the delivery of tobacco dependence services. Incorporate a discussion of these staff responsibilities into training of new staff. |
