|
Smoking cessation support services in secondary care in Scotland: key lessons from a mapping exercise
Susan MacAskill, Senior Researcher, CTCR, University of Stirling and the Open University and
Linda Bauld, Reader in Social Policy, University of Bath and UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies
Abstract
The importance of NHS settings as routes for reaching specific smoker populations, such as pregnant women and in-patients,
is increasingly recognised. It is less clear what issues need to
be addressed to ensure effective delivery. A relevant study was commissioned by NHS Health Scotland, aiming to map and describe service support for pregnant women, to identify examples of promising practice and to compare practice with current guidance. The study used a mixed method staged approach. Firstly, telephone enquiries with health board tobacco lead(s) (n=16); secondly, self-completion questionnaires sent to specialist services (n=10) and telephone interviews with senior midwifery staff in remaining areas (n=10); and thirdly, site visits to six services in Scotland and England (n=28). The study also included an audit of routinely collected data.
Key lessons for the development and delivery of cessation support for pregnant women will be presented. Themes include: behavioural support approaches; staffing and service structures; targeting, identification and referral; pharmacotherapy support; training and awareness-raising; and recording, monitoring and national data. Learning points will be set in the context of current guidelines.
Acknowledgements: NHS Health Scotland funding and support of Advisory Group. Dr David Tappin, University of Glasgow, undertook the audit of routinely collected data.
TOP
About the presenters
Susan MacAskill is a Senior Researcher in the Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Institute for Social Marketing at the University of Stirling and the Open University. She joined the centre after working in primary care and health promotion. Susan has extensive experience in undertaking research in smoking cessation support and wider tobacco control issues among a variety of key groups including disadvantaged and hard to reach communities and prison settings. Wider research interests include exploration and evaluation of interventions addressing health and social issues, incorporating a range of service user and other stakeholder perspectives.
Dr Linda Bauld is a Reader in Social Policy at the University of Bath. Her research involves the evaluation of public health policies, with a particular focus on tobacco control and smoking cessation.
She conducted the first study of NHS stop smoking services when they were established from 1999 and since then has continued to explore the effectiveness of these services in England and in Scotland. In addition to her research, she teaches health policy and is head of the social policy group at the University of Bath. She is active in tobacco control networks and is Vice-chair of Cancer Research UK’s Tobacco Advisory Group.
|
