An Evaluation of SmokeFree for Kansas Kids: An Intervention to Promote Tobacco Cessation in Pediatric Clinics

Introduction Smokefree for Kansas Kids is a program designed to train pediatric clinic staff to assess for tobacco exposure and provide brief smoking cessation interventions to caregivers and patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of this program and improve future tobacco intervention efforts in pediatric clinics. Method Eighty-six pediatric physicians and staff attended at least one of three training sessions. A random sample of pediatric medical records was selected pre-intervention (n = 49) and post-intervention (n = 150). Electronic medical records were reviewed to assess for documentation of tobacco use intervention implemented in the clinic. Results Of the 199 pediatric clinic visits reviewed, 197 met the study criteria. All but one visit documented an assessment of tobacco exposure. Among children exposed to tobacco (n = 42), providers were more likely to discuss tobacco use with caregivers post-intervention (35.7%) compared to pre-intervention (7.1%; p < 0.05). One in five caregivers in the post-intervention group were advised to quit (21.4%) compared to the pre-intervention group (7.1%). In the post-intervention group, 14.3% were referred to the state quitline compared to no referrals in the pre-intervention group. The difference in rates for providing advice and referral between pre-intervention and post-intervention were not statistically significant. Conclusions Implementation of the Smoke Free for Kansas Kids intervention was associated with modest improvements in clinic tobacco intervention efforts, but many patients still failed to receive optimal assessments or interventions. Additional efforts may be needed to enhance this program.