SHAPING THE EVOLUTION OF THE INFORMATION FLOW: THE CENTRALIZING MECHANISMS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN TOBACCO QUITLINE CONSORTIUM.

The research reported here is an analysis of the evolution of the relationships that comprise a single public health network, focusing especially on the position of the network administrative organization (Provan and Kenis, 2008) in the flow of knowledge among a large number of organizations providing similar services. Our study examines the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC), a multi-sector network that spans the US and Canada and whose members provide telephone-based tobacco cessation services to anyone interested in quitting smoking. Data were collected using web-based surveys at three different points of time.

Meeting the Tobacco Cessation Coverage Requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: State Smoking Cessation Quitlines and Cost Sharing.

Objectives: We explored whether various key stakeholders considered cost sharing with state telephone-based tobacco cessation quitlines, because including tobacco cessation services as part of the required essential health benefits is a new requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Methods: We analyzed qualitative data collected from interviews conducted in April and May of 2014 with representatives of state health departments, quitline service providers, health plans, and insurance brokers in 4 US states.

Results: State health departments varied in the strategies they considered the role their state quitline would play in meeting the ACA requirements.

Coevolution of Information Sharing and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices Among North American Tobacco Cessation Quitlines.

Objectives: We examined the coevolution of information sharing and implementation of evidence-based practices among US and Canadian tobacco cessation quitlines within the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC).

Methods: Web-based surveys were used to collect data from key respondents representing each of 74 participating funders of NAQC quitlines during the summer and fall of 2009, 2010, and 2011. We used stochastic actor-based models to estimate changes in information sharing and practice implementation in the NAQC network.