An interventional study of an evidence-based smoking cessation intervention comprising brief advice plus active referrals in Smoking, Smoking Cessation and Evidence-Based Nursing, sponsored by The University of Hong Kong. Completed at 1 site in Hong Kong. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-08-03.
Sponsored by The University of Hong Kong · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
This project aims to deliver an evidence-based smoking cessation intervention comprising the provision of brief cessation advice to smokers attending emergency departments and active referral to existing smoking cessation services. The objectives are as follows:
Smoking exerts harmful effects on nearly every organ of the body and is considered responsible for 7 million deaths worldwide every year.1 Despite a decrease in the prevalence of daily cigarette smoking from 23.3% in 1982 to 10.0% in 2017, 615,000 daily smokers2 remain in Hong Kong, where 400,000 hospitalisations per year are attributable to smoking.3 These statistics cannot be overlooked or undervalued.
The provision of medical attention to smokers in physical discomfort who visit accident and emergency departments (AEDs) could be an excellent teachable model, as it provides an invaluable opportunity to encourage smoking cessation. Smokers who consult physicians in an emergency setting are more likely to adopt better health-related behaviours. According to the Hospital Authority,4 approximately 2 million people visit AEDs in Hong Kong each year; of them, 68% are triaged as semi-urgent (level 4) or non-urgent (level 5). The average waiting time for a medical consultation varies among AEDs but generally exceeds 30 min for triage level 4 and 1-2 h for level 5. These wait times represent a golden opportunity in which healthcare professionals could advise smokers to quit and provide information about available smoking cessation programmes.4 However, cigarette smoking is addictive, and cessation is a difficult process associated with a high rate of relapse, particularly among smokers with a high level of nicotine dependency.5 According to the latest Hong Kong Thematic Household Survey, 31.2% of participating cigarette smokers had tried but failed to quit smoking.2 Therefore, an innovative intervention is needed and should be evaluated with the intent to enhance its effectiveness and potential for implementation in clinical settings. Based on the health needs of the community, we propose that such a smoking cessation strategy should combine different components, such as the administration of brief advice by healthcare professionals and the provision of referrals and follow-up boosters by community smoking cessation services, to achieve a larger intervention effect.
Most existing cessation programmes, including stage-matched interventions6 and motivational interviews,7 generally require implementation periods exceeding 30 minutes. Previous reviews have indicated that a comprehensive intervention might more effectively promote smoking cessation, compared to brief advice.8-10 However, the provision of a comprehensive smoking cessation intervention is not feasible in the busy clinical settings of Hong Kong. Indeed, healthcare professionals most commonly cite a lack of time as the reason for their inability to help patients with smoking cessation; specifically, these professionals are very busy and cannot spare even a few extra minutes.11 Other barriers to assistance include a lack of training and experience, lack of confidence in the effectiveness of the interventions and deficiencies in or a lack of incentives, support or requirements from hospital management regarding the implementation of these programmes. Moreover, our previous smoking cessation projects in an outpatient clinical setting revealed that many patients were too impatient to participate in a long intervention, while others expressed a reluctance to participate because of concerns that they might miss or experience delays in their medical consultations or other medical procedures.11-13 Nevertheless, although a brief intervention is more feasible in a clinical setting, it may be too brief and inadequate to have a significant effect on smokers.12,13 Moreover, the effectiveness of some brief interventions for smokers which focus mainly on providing self-help materials is undermined by a failure to offer or arrange any follow-up.9 Evidence indicates that smoking cessation services, including telephone quitlines, are an effective means of supporting smoking cessation efforts.14 However, these services are generally poorly utilised, with a usage rate of 23.2% among smokers in Hong Kong.2 Therefore, the combination of brief cessation advice plus referrals for smokers to utilise existing smoking cessation services in Hong Kong may comprise an alternative strategy that could enhance the effects of intervention, particularly for patients requiring additional counselling.
Interventions will include:
Service targets
Phase I: To promote our project to the emergency departments of hospitals under the Hospital Authority.
Phrase II: To recruit healthcare professionals from participating emergency departments to attend a half-day training workshop.
Phrase III: To provide brief smoking cessation advices by healthcare professionals to smokers who attend emergency departments and actively refer them to existing smoking cessation services
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Receive an evidence-based smoking cessation intervention comprising brief advice plus active referrals for smokers attending emergency departments in Hong Kong.
Behavioral: an evidence-based smoking cessation intervention comprising brief advice plus active referrals
The trained healthcare professionals will be encouraged to deliver brief smoking cessation advice based on the AWARD model to smokers who attend emergency departments and are triaged as semi-urgent or non-urgent. The trained healthcare professionals will ask the smokers their smoking history, then deliver the warning message to the smokers. If the smokers refuse to quit immediately, the trained healthcare professionals will advise them to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day, with the goal of complete cessation within 6 months. The healthcare professionals will then actively refer smokers to the chosen service provider within 1 week of recruitment. Smokers will receive proactive telephone calls from the service providers, receive a leaflet about the health-related hazards of smoking and benefits of quitting, and a pocket-sized information card containing brief information about the existing smoking cessation services in Hong Kong.
Biochemically validated abstinence of smokers at the 6-month follow-up
The self-reported quitters at the 6-month follow-up will be invited to participate in a biochemical validation (measurement of exhaled \[CO\] and salivary cotinine level). The criteria for validated abstinence are an exhaled CO level of less than 4 ppm and a saliva cotinine level of less than 10 ng/ml.
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Biochemically validated abstinence of smokers at the 12-month follow-up
The self-reported quitters at the 12-month follow-up will be invited to participate in a biochemical validation (measurement of exhaled \[CO\] and salivary cotinine level). The criteria for validated abstinence are an exhaled CO level of less than 4 ppm and a saliva cotinine level of less than 10 ng/ml.
Time frame: at the 12-month follow-up
Self-reported 7-day point prevalence of abstinence at the 6-month follow-up
Smokers will be asked to report self-reported 7-day point prevalence of abstinence at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Self-reported 7-day point prevalence of abstinence at the 12-month follow-up
Smokers will be asked to report self-reported 7-day point prevalence of abstinence at the 12-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 12-month follow-up
Self-reported reduction of ≥ 50% in cigarette consumption at the 6-month follow-up
Smokers will be asked to report self-reported reduction of ≥ 50% in cigarette consumption at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Self-reported reduction of ≥ 50% in cigarette consumption at the 12-month follow-up
Smokers will be asked to report self-reported reduction of ≥ 50% in cigarette consumption at the 12-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 12-month follow-up
Number of emergency departments participated at the end of recruitment
Number of emergency departments that agree to join this project
Time frame: at 10 months
Knowledge of the risk of smoking in trained healthcare professionals before the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their knowledge of the risk of smoking prior to the training workshops
Time frame: baseline
Knowledge of the risk of smoking in trained healthcare professionals at the end of the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their knowledge of the risk of smoking at the end of the training workshops
Time frame: up to 1 week
Knowledge of the risk of smoking in trained healthcare professionals at the 3-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their knowledge of the risk of smoking at the 3-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 3-month follow-up
Knowledge of the risk of smoking in trained healthcare professionals at the 6-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their knowledge of the risk of smoking at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation in trained healthcare professionals before the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation prior to the training workshops
Time frame: Baseline
Attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation in trained healthcare professionals at the end of the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation at the end of the training workshops
Time frame: up to 1 week
Attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation in trained healthcare professionals at the 3-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation at the 3-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 3-month follow-up
Attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation in trained healthcare professionals at the 6-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their attitudes towards smoking, tobacco control and smoking cessation at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Practices of delivering smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals before the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their practices of delivering smoking cessation advice prior to the training workshops
Time frame: baseline
Practices of delivering smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the end of the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their practices of delivering smoking cessation advice at the end of the training workshops
Time frame: up to 1 week
Practices of delivering smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the 3-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their practices of delivering smoking cessation advice at the 3-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 3-month follow-up
Practices of delivering smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the 6-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their practices of delivering smoking cessation advice at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Level of self-efficacy in trained healthcare professionals before the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their levels of self-efficacy to deliver smoking cessation advice prior to the training workshops
Time frame: baseline
Level of self-efficacy in trained healthcare professionals at the end of the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their levels of self-efficacy to deliver smoking cessation advice at the end of the training workshops
Time frame: up to 1 week
Level of self-efficacy in trained healthcare professionals at the 3-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their levels of self-efficacy to deliver smoking cessation advice at the 3-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 3-month follow-up
Level of self-efficacy in trained healthcare professionals at the 6-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their levels of self-efficacy to deliver smoking cessation advice at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Intention to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals before the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their intentions to deliver smoking cessation advice prior to the training workshops
Time frame: baseline
Intention to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the end of the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their intentions to deliver smoking cessation advice at the end of the training workshops
Time frame: up to 1 week
Intention to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals aat the 3-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their intentions to deliver smoking cessation advice at the 3-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 3-month follow-up
Intention to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals aat the 6-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their intentions to deliver smoking cessation advice at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Planning to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals before the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their planning to deliver smoking cessation advice prior to the training workshops
Time frame: baseline
Planning to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the end of the training workshops
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their planning to deliver smoking cessation advice at the end of the training workshops
Time frame: up to 1 week
Planning to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the 3-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their planning to deliver smoking cessation advice at the 3-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 3-month follow-up
Planning to deliver smoking cessation advice in trained healthcare professionals at the 6-month follow-up
The trained healthcare professionals will be asked about their planning to deliver smoking cessation advice at the 6-month follow-up
Time frame: at the 6-month follow-up
Number of smokers that have been approached by healthcare professionals at the end of the project
The numbers of smokers that have been approached by the trained healthcare professionals at the end of the project will be recorded.
Time frame: at 22 months
Number of smokers that have been given brief advice on smoking cessation at the end of the project
The numbers of smokers that have been given brief advice on smoking cessation at the end of the project will be recorded.
Time frame: at 22 months
Number of smokers that have been referred to smoking cessation services at the end of the project
The numbers of smokers that have been referred to smoking cessation services at the end of the project will be recorded.
Time frame: at 22 months
Plan to share: Yes — The relevant anonymized patient level data, full dataset, technical appendix, and statistical code are available on reasonable request. The approval from the Principal Investigator for the purpose of data use is required.
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