The ask-advise-connect approach for smokers in a safety net healthcare system: A group-randomized trial

Jennifer Irvin Vidrine, Sanjay Shete, Yisheng Li, Yumei Cao, Margo Hilliard Alford, Rn Michelle Galindo-Talton, Vance Rabius, Barry Sharp, Penny Harmonson, Susan M. Zbikowski, Lyndsay Miles, David W. Wetter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

68 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background Because smoking has a profound impact on socioeconomic disparities in illness and death, it is crucial that vulnerable populations of smokers be targeted with treatment. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all patients be asked about their smoking at every visit and that smokers be given brief advice to quit and referred to treatment. Purpose Initiatives to facilitate these practices include the 5A's (ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange) and Ask-Advise-Refer (AAR). Unfortunately, primary care referrals are low, and most smokers referred fail to enroll. This study evaluated the efficacy of the Ask-Advise-Connect (AAC) approach to linking smokers with treatment in a large, safety net public healthcare system. Design The study design was a pair-matched group-randomized trial with two treatment arms. Setting/participants Ten safety net clinics in Houston TX. Intervention Clinics were randomized to AAC (n=5; intervention) or AAR (n=5; control). Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) were trained to assess and record the smoking status of all patients at all visits in the electronic health record. Smokers were given brief advice to quit. In AAC, the names and phone numbers of smokers who agreed to be connected were sent electronically to the Texas quitline daily, and patients were proactively called by the quitline within 48 hours. In AAR, smokers were offered a quitline referral card and encouraged to call on their own. Data were collected between June 2010 and March 2012 and analyzed in 2012. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was impact, defined here as the proportion of identified smokers that enrolled in treatment. Results The impact (proportion of identified smokers who enrolled in treatment) of AAC (14.7%) was significantly greater than the impact of AAR (0.5%), t(4)=14.61, p=0.0001, OR=32.10 (95% CI=16.60, 62.06). Conclusions The AAC approach to aiding smoking cessation has tremendous potential to reduce tobacco-related health disparities. Trial registration This study is registered at ISRCTN78799157.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)737-741
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume45
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

MD Anderson CCSG core facilities

  • Assessment, Intervention, and Measurement
  • Biostatistics Resource Group
  • Clinical and Translational Research Center

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