Integration of a Tobacco Treatment Specialist into Primary Care: Perception from Multidisciplinary Team

BACKGROUND: Tobacco continues to be on the leading cause of avoidable death. Primary care practices are ideal locations to provide tobacco cessation visits. Tobacco treatment specialists are trained individuals with expertise in providing medication and counseling management to patients to help with tobacco cessation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the integration of a tobacco treatment specialist into the primary care setting and the perception of this role from the multidisciplinary team. METHOD: We conducted an electronic cross-sectional survey to evaluate awareness and perception of the integration of a tobacco treatment specialist into a primary care facility that is part of a large Midwestern tertiary healthcare center. The sample for this study included all the primary clinic staff that directly work with patients and included licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners, and medical doctors. RESULTS: 55% (n = 22) of staff had utilized the tobacco treatment specialist with direct patient care. Reasons for using the specialist was for referral for follow-up tobacco cessation visit (54%), curbside consultations (21%), medication management (21%), and other reasons (5%). The majority of staff strongly agreed that utilizing the TTS was valuable. CONCLUSION: This study reinforced the positive impact a tobacco treatment specialist can have being integrated into the primary care practice from the perception of the multidisciplinary team.