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Antenatal Clinic and Stop Smoking Services Staff Views on "Opt-Out" Referrals for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy: A Framework Analysis.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Campbell, Katarzyna Anna 
Bowker, Katharine Anna 
Naughton, Felix 
Sloan, Melanie 
Cooper, Sue 

Abstract

Introduction: UK guidance recommends routine exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) screening for pregnant women and "opt-out" referrals to stop smoking services (SSS) of those with CO ≥ 4 ppm. We explored staff views on this referral pathway when implemented in one UK hospital Trust. Methods: Seventeen semi-structured interviews with staff involved in the implementation of the new referral pathway: six antenatal clinic staff (before and after implementation); five SSS staff (after). Data were analyzed using framework analysis. Results: Two themes were identified: (1) views on implementation of the pathway and (2) impact of the pathway on the women. Generally, staff felt that following training, referrals were less arduous to implement and better received than expected. The majority believed this pathway helped engage women motivated to quit and offered a unique chance to impart smoking cessation knowledge to hard-to-reach women, who might not otherwise contact SSS. An unexpected issue arose during implementation-dealing with non-smokers with high CO readings. Conclusions: According to staff, the "opt-out" referral pathway is an acceptable addition to routine antenatal care. It can help engage hard-to-reach women and educate them about the dangers of smoking in pregnancy. Incorporating advice on dealing with non-smokers with high CO into routine staff training could help future implementations.

Description

Keywords

health support workers, pregnancy, smoking cessation, stop smoking services, “opt-out” referrals, Ambulatory Care Facilities, Breath Tests, Carbon Monoxide, Female, Humans, Motivation, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Pregnant Women, Prenatal Care, Referral and Consultation, Smoking Cessation, Smoking Prevention

Journal Title

Int J Environ Res Public Health

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1661-7827
1660-4601

Volume Title

13

Publisher

MDPI AG
Sponsorship
This work was supported by the NIHR under its Programme Grants for Applied Research (RP-PG 0109-10020). The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. The authors are members of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies. Funding to UKCTAS from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Medical Research Council and the National Institute of Health Research, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged.