Web-based Healthcare Provider Training in Quitline Referral Skills

Audience: Individuals at all levels of experience. Key Points: Tobacco quitlines (QLs) provide effective evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling, yet they remain under-utilized. Barriers to utilization include the lack of referrals by healthcare providers who typically have little knowledge about QLs and low self-efficacy for providing tobacco interventions. In order to educate providers about QLs, referral methods and tobacco interventions, a case-based online CME/CE program, Refer 2 Quit (R2Q), was developed. R2Q includes QL education and intervention skills training tailored to provider type (e.g., physician, nurse, dental provider, pharmacist, other providers) and work setting (e.g., emergency, outpatient, inpatient). Web-based training programs are convenient for providers, usually include interactive and multimedia features and can serve as a long-term resource. Four healthcare centers in Washington State participated in a study examining the effects of R2Q training on provider attitudes and self-efficacy and on fax referral rates. Clinical staff were invited to use R2Q and were offered free CME. Participants (N = 105) were primarily Caucasian and female with a mix of provider types, including prescribers (20.1%), RNs (46.7%), and others (33.2%).  Results indicated that participating healthcare sites increased their fax referral rates, although rates remained low. Providers who completed the training expressed significantly more positive attitudes and improved self-efficacy for delivering tobacco interventions. Educational Experience: Presenter will describe the R2Q project, demonstrate parts of the training program and illustrate how skills training can be customized by setting and profession. Benefits: Educating healthcare providers in tobacco interventions and QL referral skills increase the effectiveness of healthcare-based cessation efforts.