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July 2012
Time-Sensitive News
NAQC Conference 2012: Make Sure to Register by July 27!
With only a few weeks to go until NAQC Conference 2012 converges on Kansas City, Missouri, we are proud to announce important updates to our conference program. Please make sure to visit the Conference page for the most up-to-date information and review the online agenda which includes details on the hosted-poster session. Our time together will include three plenary sessions, 12 breakout sessions to choose from, time dedicated to hosted posters and networking, a reception celebrating 20 years of quitlines and a facilitated process with NAQC’s Board of Directors to envision the future of quitlines.
We are thrilled to note that on June 11th, CDC OSH sent a letter to all tobacco program managers reminding them of the NAQC Conference and encouraging use of DPO9-901 or DPO9-902 travel funds to support conference attendance by state cessation managers, quitline managers, or other staff dedicated to quitline services. Thank you, CDC! We hope this alleviates some of the travel barriers being faced by many of our state-level colleagues.
» register today
Renew Your NAQC Membership Today!
Many of you have reached out to us asking for an extension of the membership renewal deadline and to accommodate these requests, we have extended the deadline from July 1 to August 20. To avoid interruption in your membership services, please submit your membership dues (payments are accepted in a form of a check, credit card payment, and online renewal) prior to 5 pm ET on Monday, August 20.
For questions regarding membership, please contact Natalia Gromov at 800-398-5489 ext 701 or membership@naquitline.org.
Smoking Cessation Request for Proposals!
Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at UCSF and Pfizer Medical Education Group recently announced a request for proposals to increase smoking cessation activities among health care professionals. 20 awards will be made ranging from $50,000 - $200,000. Letters of intent are due August 1st.
» learn more
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NAQC News
POSITION STATEMENT: Implications for North American Quitlines of a Recent Study on NRT and Quitline Counseling in England!
In March 2012, the British Medical Journal published an article by Ferguson et al. that concludes,"In England, where support for smoking cessation (i.e., counseling and NRT) is available to all smokers either free or at relatively low cost, adding additional proactive telephone counseling or an offer of free nicotine replacement therapy to usual quitline care did not affect smoking cessation rates. The study attracted much attention and has raised questions about the wisdom of providing NRT as part of quitline services. In response to such questions, the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) convened a webinar to consider the implications of the study for quitlines in North America as well as released a position statement.
» learn more
NEW! Building Public-Private Partnerships: State Progress Briefs!
For the past 7 months, nine states have been participating in the NAQC initiative to advance the sustainability of state quitlines through the formation of partnerships. The initiative has provided states with foundational information through the 3-part webinar series "Building Public-private Partnerships,” monthly facilitated discussion groups and technical assistance. Currently, states are very active in conducting state assessments to better understand the current tobacco cessation coverage among large health plans and employers and indentifying key stakeholders. Once the assessments have been completed, they will be well positioned to develop and implement an action plan in collaboration with private and public stakeholders.
While the states are in the infancy stage of partnership development, their experiences are rich and diverse. If you are interested in learning more about each of the state’s efforts, state briefs have been developed and posted to the Public-Private Partnership initiative webpage. The briefs provide information regarding each state’s goals for increasing quitline sustainability, existing public-private and public-public partnerships, as well as quitline services and background information.
» learn more
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Tobacco Control
Summer Savings from TECC!
TECC materials are reviewed for cultural, educational, and language needs of various populations and selected for the catalog based on recommendations by expert material review committees. TECC produces and distributes low cost educational material covering tobacco use prevention, secondhand smoke exposure, and smoking cessation. Visit their website today to learn about their summer specials and/or take 10% off all orders over $200 by typing in a promo code SUM12 (offer ends July 31, 2012).
» learn more
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, September 20th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT!
“Varenicline: Where are we Today?” A Live Webcast Panel hosted by the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), University of California Office of the President, featuring:
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Neal Benowitz, MD, University of California San Francisco
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Eden Evins, MD, MPH, Harvard University
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Judith Prochaska, PhD, MPH, Stanford University
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Sonal Singh, MD, MPH, John Hopkins University
» More details to come soon!
Toolkits on Smokefree Multi-unit Housing From American Lung Association!
American Lung Association along with U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public and Indian Housing Sandra Henriquez, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard K. Koh and the American Academy of Pediatrics released two new toolkits to help public housing authorities make their multi-family properties smokefree.
Toolkit for residents: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=pdfresidents.pdf
Toolkit for owners: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=pdfowners.pdf
A joint press statement with the American Academy of Pediatrics has also been released, which is posted on the American Lung Association’s website here.
» learn more
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Research
Medicaid Coverage and Utilization of Covered Tobacco-Cessation Treatments: The Arkansas Experience.
Li C; Dresler CM. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. June 2012;42(6):588-595.
This study used Arkansas Medicaid administrative claims from October 2003 to June 2008 to examine the impact of Arkansas Medicaid coverage of tobacco-cessation treatment on use of FDA-approved medications and counseling services by Medicaid enrollees. Results showed that during the study period, a total of 12,673 enrollees received some tobacco-cessation treatments, and 77% of them received medications only. The policy change expanding coverage sparked an increase in use of cessation medications among Medicaid enrollees, but that increase declined after three months. The addition of varenicline also increased use of medications, but that increase also declined after six months. Monthly claims for counseling services appeared to be unrelated to the policy changes. The authors conclude that Medicaid coverage alone may have a limited sustained effect on increasing use of covered tobacco-cessation treatments among Medicaid enrollees.
Healthcare Costs Around the Time of Smoking Cessation.
Hockenberry JM, Curry SJ, Fishman PA, Baker TB, Fraser DL, Cisler RA, Jackson TC, Fiore MC. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. June 2012;42(6):596-601.
The Affordable Care Act mandates that new insurance plans cover smoking-cessation therapy without cost-sharing. Previous cost difference estimates, which show a spike around the time of cessation, suggest premiums might rise as a result of covering these services. This study analyzed whether healthcare cost data differed between smokers enrolled in a randomized trial for smoking cessation and a matched sample of smokers in the community. The initial clinic visit was associated with a spike in cost. That spike had reversed for sustained quitters by the sixth quarter post-quit, showing that continuous sustained quitters cost $541 less than continuing smokers (p<0.001) among those enrolled in the randomized trial. In addition, continuous sustained quitters cost less than their matched community counterparts in almost every quarter. The cost difference ranged from $270 (p=0.01) during the quit quarter, to $490 (p<0.01) in the 6th quarter after quitting. The authors conclude that the inclusion of smoking-cessation therapy does not appear to raise short-term healthcare costs. By the sixth quarter post-quit, sustained quitters were less costly than trial participants who continued smoking.
Tobacco Use Screening and Counseling During Physician Office Visits Among Adults — National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2005–2009!
Jamal A, Dube SR, Malarcher AM, Shaw L, Engstrom MC. MMWR. June 15, 2012;61 (Supplement).
This report summarized data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to examine rates of tobacco use screening, rates of tobacco cessation counseling, and rates of overall cessation success, as well as tobacco medication provision by patient- and physician-related characteristics. The report found that of the three billion office visits during the 2005-2008 time span:
62.7% of patients were screened for tobacco;
17.6% of patients screened were current tobacco users;
20.9% of patients using tobacco received cessation counseling; and
7.6% of patients using tobacco received a prescription or order for a cessation medication.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 as amended by the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (referred to collectively as the Affordable Care Act [ACA]) and other national initiatives will increase tobacco cessation treatment coverage, which should help increase the proportion of tobacco users receiving counseling or medications. The report concludes that “tobacco use screening and intervention is one of the most effective clinical prevention services, both in terms of cost and success.”
[Towards informed tobacco consumption in Mexico: effect of pictorial warning labels in smokers].
[Article in Spanish]
Thrasher JF, Pérez-Hernández R, Arillo-Santillán E, Barrientos-Gutiérrez I. Salud Publica Mex. 2012 Jun;54(3):242-53.
This study evaluated the effect of the first graphic warning labels on cigarette packs in Mexican smokers. Results showed that from 2010 (before the warnings were implemented) and 2011 (after warnings were implemented), smokers’ knowledge about smoking risks, the toxic components of tobacco, and the quitline number for help with quitting all increased significantly. Recent ex-smokers in 2011 reported that pack warnings had influenced their decision to quit. The authors conclude that the first graphic health warnings on cigarette packs in Mexico have had a significant impact on knowledge and behavior.
Tobacco Quitlines Need to Assess and Intervene with Callers' Hazardous Drinking.
Toll BA, Cummings KM, O’Malley SS, Carlin-Menter S, McKee SA, Hyland A, Wu R, Hopkins J, Celestino P. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2012 Jun 15. [Epub ahead of print]
This study examined rates of hazardous drinking among nearly 90,000 callers to the NYSSQL. Quit rates were also compared for callers who met criteria for hazardous drinking compared to moderate drinkers and nondrinkers. At baseline, 56% of callers reported drinking, and 23% reported hazardous drinking using modified NIAAA guidelines. Hazardous drinking was associated with lower cessation outcomes than those who reported a moderate drinking profiles, although it did not differ from cessation outcomes of nondrinkers. The authors conclude that tobacco quitlines may provide a venue for providing brief alcohol interventions to high-risk drinkers. They also call for further studies to evaluate whether a brief alcohol intervention would result in improved smoking cessation rates for hazardous drinking smokers.
Physician Advice on Avoiding Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Referrals for Smoking Cessation Services.
Kruger j, Trosclair A, Rosenthal A, Babb S, Rodes RM. Tob Induc Dis. 2012 Jul 2;10(1):10. [Epub ahead of print]
This study examined primary care provider advice regarding SHS exposure and referral to cessation programs using data from the DocStyles survey. Results showed that among a convenience sample of primary care providers, 94.9% encouraged parents to protect children from SHS exposure, 86.1% encouraged smokers to make their homes and cars smoke-free, and 77.4% encouraged nonsmokers to avoid SHS exposure. 44% usually or always referred tobacco-using patients to cessation programs such as a quitline, group cessation class, or one-on-one counseling. The authors conclude by encouraging healthcare providers to advise patients to avoid SHS exposure and refer patients using tobacco products to cessation services.
Reaching Out, Inviting Back: Using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Technology to Recycle Relapsed Smokers Back to Quitline Treatment - A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Carlini BH, McDaniel AM, Weaver MT, Kauffman RM, Cerutti B, Stratton RM, Zbikowski SM. BMC Public Health 2012, 12:507
This study tested the efficacy of IVR technology in re-enrolling low income smokers who had previously used quitline (QL) support for a new quit attempt. 2985 previous QL callers were randomized to receive IVR screening for current smoking (control) or IVR screening plus an IVR intervention which consisted of automated questions to identify and address barriers to re-enrolling in QL services followed by an offer to be transferred to the QL for re-enrollment. Results showed that the IVR system successfully reached 23.9% of former QL participants. Of those, 27% reported they had quit smoking and were excluded from further analysis. The re-enrollment rate of the 521 smokers in the study was 3.3% for the control group and 28.2% for the intervention group (p<.001). The main barriers identified for not engaging in a new treatment cycle were low self-efficacy and lack of interest in quitting. After delivering IVR messages targeting these barriers, 32% of the smokers reporting low self-efficacy and 4.8% of those reporting lack of interest in quitting re-engaged in a new QL treatment cycle. The authors conclude that proactive IVR outreach is a promising tool to engage low income, relapsed smokers back into a new cycle of treatment. They also note that it has the potential to decrease tobacco-related disparities.
Announcements
Webinar on July 12: Beacon Communities and EHR Vendors Working Together to Accelerate Interoperability and Exchange!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
2:00-3:00PM EDT
REGISTER NOW! http://www.nationalehealth.org/PowerofCollaboration
LIVE WEBCAST: The Power of Collaboration
National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) is excited to partner with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Beacon Communities program to celebrate two years of innovation and success in advancing health information technology adoption and use.
On July 12, 2012, Beacon Community representatives, EHR vendors and other industry leaders will join Deputy National Coordinator for Programs & Policy Judy Murphy and NeHC CEO Kate Berry for a panel discussion on innovative approaches to address challenges in using information from disparate EHR systems.
Joining forces, Beacon Communities and seven EHR companies (NextGen, Greenway, GE, Allscripts, Vitera, Cerner and SuccessEHS) have come to consensus on the highest priority elements of patient information necessary for a consistent clinical summary document that can be automatically exported to an HIE. This effort will bridge silos and improve workflows, and will move the EHR from a tool used in a single provider site to a resource of important patient information that benefits the entire provider community.
» learn more
Deadline: July 17! NJ Quitline RFP!
Below please find important information regarding the NJ Quitline RFP. Please note the due dates below:
June 29, 2012 - Bidder's Electronic Question Due Date
July 17, 2012 - Proposal Submission Date
NJ Quitline RFP
Deadline: September 17! Legacy's Community Activist Award!
Legacy is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2012 Community Activist Award. The award celebrates exceptional individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to creating a tobacco-free world in their local community. Each nominee must be a recognized leader in his or her community with experience spearheading innovative and influential tobacco control projects, especially those that reflect Legacy’s mission to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.
To submit a nomination and for more information, please visit http://www.legacyforhealth.org/caa.
The winner will receive a $2500 honorarium.
» learn more
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Funding for Connections is provided through a contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank them for their support of this publication. Information and links are provided solely as a service to NAQC members and partners and do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by NAQC, nor should any be inferred.
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