Shared Tobacco Cessation Curriculum Website for Health Professionals: Longitudinal Analysis of User and Utilization Data Over a Period of 15 Years

BACKGROUND

Because tobacco use is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, it is essential to prepare health care providers to assist patients with quitting smoking. Created in 1999, the "Rx for Change" tobacco cessation curriculum was designed to fill an educational gap in cessation training of health professional students. In 2004, a website was launched to host teaching materials and tools to support the efforts of educators and clinicians.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to characterize users and utilization of a website hosting shared teaching materials over a period of 15 years.

METHODS

Data from the Rx for Change website have been collected prospectively since its inception. In this study, end-user data were analyzed to determine user characteristics, how they heard about the website, intended use of the materials, and numbers of logins and file downloads over time.

RESULTS

Total number of website registrants was 15,576, representing all 50 states in the United States and 94 countries. The most represented discipline was pharmacy (6393/15,505, 41.2%), and nearly half of users were students or residents. The most common source of referral to the website was a faculty member or colleague (33.4%, 2591/7758), and the purpose of enhancing personal knowledge and skills was the most commonly cited intended use of the curricular materials. A total of 259,835 file downloads occurred during the 15-year period, and the most commonly downloaded file type was ancillary handouts.

CONCLUSIONS

The Rx for Change website demonstrated sustained use, providing immediate access to tobacco cessation teaching and practice tools for educators and clinicians over the first 15 years of its existence. The website has a broad interprofessional reach, and the consistent utilization over time and large number of downloads provide evidence for the feasibility and utility of a public-access website hosting teaching materials. The shared curriculum approach averts the need for educators to create their own materials for teaching tobacco cessation to students in the health professions.

A survey of smoking cessation training within UK pharmacy education

INTRODUCTION

Tobacco smoking is a significant public health problem, and remains the leading cause of preventable, premature death in the United Kingdom (UK). In order to reduce the burden of smoking in the UK, all healthcare professionals should be able to advise smokers how to quit and assist them to do so. The aim was to identify the extent of smoking cessation teaching and examination in UK pharmacy schools.

METHODS

A short survey of smoking cessation was sent to each Programme Director for all UK pharmacy schools (n = 29).

RESULTS

The survey achieved a response rate of 72%. All schools dedicated time teaching smoking cessation interventions, with 76% spending more than three hours, and 90% examining students on some aspect of smoking cessation. All schools taught about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and the role of behavioural support. At least 90% of schools taught about the role of the stop smoking services and opportunistic brief interventions, e.g., very brief advice (VBA). Only 14% covered practical delivery in clinical settings.

CONCLUSIONS

UK pharmacy schools are teaching and examining students on a wide range of smoking cessation interventions, including VBA. However, there was a lack of training reported on the management of mental health patients who smoke, and practical skills training. All schools should do more to ensure they are providing practical skills training to enable students to be adequately prepared for delivering smoking cessation support to all smokers, including vulnerable populations.