Identify a Tobacco Cessation Practice Champion
The role of a champion in tobacco cessation is an important one; they take ownership and are a point person to facilitate, promote, and monitor the overall initiative, acting as a liaison between patients and staff. The cessation champion can help to identify gaps and inefficiencies in workflow to maximize effectiveness. The champion could be a provider or any other staff member that is willing or passionate about smoking cessation. The champion can bring forward change, acting as a quality assurance professional and ensure that services are constantly improving and working towards a better standard.
Consider the following activities for a tobacco cessation champion:
- Attend trainings, assist with questions, and manage workflow, due dates, documentation and data.
- Assemble the team that will work together on screening implementation, documentation, and reporting of outcomes.
- Assist clinical staff to incorporate education and resources to support the continuing improvement and implementation of services.
- Work with clinical staff to ensure appropriate documentation of services.
- Lead adjustments to workflows and interventions as needed.
The primary benefit of having a smoking cessation champion is that they identify and mitigate issues with workflows such as documentation in the EHR as well as closely monitor performance rates. A dedicated staff member monitoring rates and processing ensures that the screening will become part of the normal rooming activity and documentation is accurate.
Links:
Tip Sheet for Physician Champions Office Champions Tobacco Cessation National Dissemination Project