What Makes an Effective Stop Smoking Service?

A second strand of research at the NCSCT is aimed at finding and disseminating best practice, specifically by identifying the service and treatment characteristics associated with a successful outcome at the NHS Stop Smoking Services (SSS).

Individual projects:

1: Association between service characteristics and performance

Using data from 24 Stop Smoking Services (127,000 treatment episodes); we found that 4-week success rates depend on medication, form of support and treatment setting. While taking smoker’s demographics into account, varenicline (Champix) or combination of two forms of NRT was associated with higher success rates than single nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Single NRT was associated with higher success rates than no medication. Groups were linked to higher success rates than one-to-one support. Support in specialist clinics was associated with higher success rates than support in primary care settings.

This study has been published as: Brose et al. (2011). What makes for an effective stop-smoking service? Thorax, 66(10), 924-926. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200251

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

2: Assessing current practice and intervention fidelity (in progress)

Aim: To arrive at a description of the content of current practice, in terms of component behaviour change techniques (BCTs), delivered by SSSs. To compare BCTs delivered in practice between SSSs that have and do not have treatment protocols. For SSSs with protocols, compare the extent to which current practice delivered within the SSS differs from intended practice specified in the corresponding treatment protocol.

Research Questions:

What BCTs are currently being used in practice by English SSSs?
Do the BCTs used by English SSSs differ according to whether they have treatment manuals?
For services with protocols, how do BCTs used in practice compare with the BCTs specified in the service’s relevant treatment protocol?

Key Contact: Fabiana Lorencatto: Fabi.lorencatto@ncsct.co.uk

3: Examining the association between practice and outcome (in progress)

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

Research questions:

What are the associations between component BCTs delivered in practice and successful quit outcomes at the level of the stop smoking service?
What are the associations between component BCTs delivered in practice and successful quit outcomes at the level of the individual stop smoking advisor?

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

4: Development of a Reliable Method for Characterising Smoking Cessation Behavioural Support in Practice (in progress)

Aim: To develop a reliable method for identifying and classifying the component behaviour change techniques (BCTs) of behavioural support interventions for smoking cessation as delivered in practice.