title: Partnering with health care systems to assess tobacco treatment practices and beliefs among clinicians: evaluating the process.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco is a major cause of preventable illness and death. However, clinician use of an evidence-based guideline for treatment of tobacco use is low. This case study describes the process for conducting a pre-intervention assessment of clinician practices and beliefs regarding treatment of tobacco use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Louisiana State University Health System, one of the largest safety-net public hospital systems in the United States, consists of 10 facilities in population centers across the state of Louisiana. The system serves a large proportion of the state's underinsured and uninsured, low-income, and racial/ethnic minority populations, groups that have high rates of tobacco use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Activities included 1) partnering with hospital administrators to generate support for conducting a clinician assessment, 2) identifying and adapting a survey tool to assess clinicians' practices and beliefs regarding treatment of tobacco use, 3) developing a survey protocol and obtaining approval from the institutional review board, and 4) administering the survey electronically, using the hospital's e-mail system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Existing partnerships and system resources aided survey administration. Use of the hospital's internal e-mail system and distribution of an online survey were effective means to engage clinicians. Following notification, 43.6% of 4,508 clinicians opened their e-mail containing the invitation letter with a Web link to the survey; of these, 83.1% (1,634) completed the survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Partnering with stakeholders and using existing resources within the health care system are essential to successful implementation of a system-wide survey of clinician practices and beliefs regarding treatment of tobacco use.
authors.affiliation: 2020 Gravier St, 3rd Fl, New Orleans, LA 70112. Telephone: 504-568-5742. E-mail: mceles@lsuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Celestin
authors.affiliation: Virginia Department of Health Crater Health District, Petersburg, Virginia.
authors.forename: Alton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Public Health, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moody-Thomas
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000628:therapy*