In a previous study we demonstrated the effectiveness of providing smoking- cessation counseling to the general population of hospital patients when delivered by research staff. The purpose of the next step in our research plan is to study the feasibility of assisting regular hospital staff to implement a similar cancer prevention program on a continuing basis. The proposed implementation model has been designed to keep treatment costs low while taking advantage of the teachable moment created by hospitalization. This implementation combines brief formal counseling by respiratory therapists, supportive counseling from hospital nurses and an array of supportive, low-intensity intervention materials. The intervention will be sequentially implemented in two medium-sized hospitals over a four-year period. A variety of process measures will assess implementation by health care providers, patient quit attempts, smoking cessation rates, and cost- effectiveness. The ultimate goal of this project is to establish this intervention as a permanent part o routine hospital care.
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