Evaluation and Validation of the NCSCT Training and Assessment Programme

This strand of research at the NCSCT involves evaluating the effectiveness of the NCSCT training and assessment programme, and assessing the impact of this training upon clinical practice and client outcomes.

Individual projects:

1: Evaluation of Stage 1 training

The NCSCT online Stage 1 knowledge training programme has been found to improve practitioners’ knowledge and practitioners with all levels of prior knowledge and experience benefit. We are now examining how this knowledge is associated with practitioner performance (see Study 2, below).

This study is to be published as: Brose et al. (in press). Effectiveness of an online knowledge training and assessment programme for Stop Smoking Practitioners. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntr286

Key contact: Leonie Brose: leonie.brose@ncsct.co.uk

2: Validation of Stage 1 assessment (in progress)

Aim: To examine to what extent the NCSCT Stage 1 assessment scores are associated with measures of practitioner performance and knowledge relevant to their role.

Research questions: What is the association between performance in the NCSCT Stage 1 assessment and:

1. CO-verified quit rates as reported by practitioners?
2. Individual practitioner CO-verified quit rates as reported by service data from services that use Quit Manager (QM)?
3. Performance on the Stage 2 assessment?
4. Performance on a short-answer question test in a subsample of practitioners?

Key contact: Leonie Brose: leonie.brose@ncsct.co.uk

3: Evaluation of NCSCT Stage 2 face-to-face skills training

The face-to-face training commissioned or provided by the NCSCT has been found to improve practitioners' professional confidence to competently deliver effective support.

More detail on this study can be found here.

Key contact: Leonie Brose: leonie.brose@ncsct.co.uk

4: Evaluation of the influence of NCSCT training on practice

Aim: To measure and examine the associations between practice and success rates at the level of a) the stop smoking service, and b) the individual stop smoking advisor. 

Research questions:

1. What are the associations between practice and success rates at the level of the stop smoking service?
2. What are the associations between practice and success rates at the level of the individual stop smoking advisor?
 

Key contact: Fabiana Lorencatto: fabi.lorencatto@ncsct.co.uk