Performance Obligations to Improve Delivery of Hospital-Initiated Smoking Cessation Interventions: A Before-and-After Evaluation.

Introduction: This study evaluated whether introducing performance obligations (a policy intervention) to service agreements between hospitals (n = 15) and their local health authority: (1) improved provision of an evidence-based tobacco cessation intervention (the "Ottawa Model" for Smoking Cessation) and (2) changed the quality of the cessation intervention being delivered.

Methods: Interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate the change in the proportion of smoker patients provided the Ottawa Model 3 years before and 3 years after introducing the performance obligations. Changes in secondary outcomes related to program quality were described using mean differences, risk differences, and risk ratios, as appropriate.

Effectiveness of a hospital-initiated smoking cessation programme: 2-year health and healthcare outcomes.

Background: Tobacco-related illnesses are leading causes of death and healthcare use. Our objective was to determine whether implementation of a hospital-initiated smoking cessation intervention would reduce mortality and downstream healthcare usage.

Methods: A 2-group effectiveness study was completed comparing patients who received the 'Ottawa Model' for Smoking Cessation intervention (n=726) to usual care controls (n=641).