Background: Smoking cessation after a cancer diagnosis reduces risk of hospital readmission, improves recovery and reduces risk of death. Evidence-based policies recommend hospital admission is an ideal time to deliver smoking cessation interventions. However, hospital based interventions are not well implemented. Implementation strategies are the techniques used to embed a new model of care into practice. Sharing knowledge about implementation strategies that have been applied in smoking cessation interventions in hospital-based settings is needed.
Aim: This presentation will detail a comprehensive index of implementation strategies that have been applied to embed smoking cessation interventions into health services, as identified in a systematic review.
Methods: We searched CINAHL Complete, Embase, MEDLINE Complete and PsycInfo using concepts smoking cessation, hospitals and implementation from 2010 – 2020, including all study designs. Data were extracted on study characteristics and implementation strategies, assessed according to four defined managerial functions: planning, organising, leading, monitoring.
Results: A total of 14,287 original records were identified and screened, resulting in 63 included papers from 56 studies. Forty-two different implementation strategies were identified. Seventeen of these were categorised under Planning, including stakeholder consultation/engagement (n=14 studies;25%), executive/senior leadership buy-in (n=10;18%) and piloting (n=10;18%). Twenty-one studies (38%) had no planning activities. Organising encompassed 10 strategies, the most common being certification of staff (n=7, 13%), though most studies had no organisation implementation strategies (n=31;55%). All studies used a Leading implementation strategy, most commonly training (54 studies;96%), and audit was the most common for Monitoring (n=29 studies;52%). Results indicate multi-strategic approaches are recommended.
Conclusions and Implications: 42 strategies or techniques were identified that can be utilised in hospital settings to implement smoking cessation interventions. Training was most common though this should be supported with other strategies. This knowledge sharing will be relevant to oncology health professionals considering how to introduce sustainable smoking cessation programs.