Increasing Behavior-Based Cessation Strategies in Healthcare Educational Curricula

Audience: The target members are those directly involved in health/medical education, or who develop tobacco cessation curricula, or who train trainers of cessation programs. Key Points: The aims of this presentation are to offer solutions to increase behavior-based tobacco dependence cessation instruction among medical educators across various fields, and to employ innovative problem-based learning strategies. During the 2008-2009 academic year, a tobacco dependence curriculum survey was mailed to 141 accredited physician assistant programs in the United Sates. The survey included questions about delivery methods and minutes spent teaching specific topics. Results (56% return rate) revealed that most curricular minutes (223 mean) were spent teaching pathophysiology and disease-related topics; compared to 42 minutes (mean) devoted to teaching the Public Health Service (PHS) Guidelines’ behavioral methods to encourage cessation. Respondents also reported various delivery methods for teaching tobacco-related topics: 81.0% provided lectures, 45.6% used a few case studies, and 37.2% offered a problem-based learning (PBL) approach. Educational Experience: Using a lecture-based format, presenters will explore methods to increase teaching time in behavioral aspects of cessation and also provide ideas which employ innovative PBL delivery methods (case studies, simulated patients, etcetera). Strategies learned are suited to many healthcare disciplines and are applicable during multiple stages of a medically-based educational curriculum. Benefits: This presentation is intended to spark interest in educational strategies that will increase adherence to the PHS behavior-based cessation techniques among future healthcare professionals, with the ultimate goal of increasing tobacco cessation rates in patient populations.