title: Smoking cessation outcomes of referral to a specialist hospital outpatient clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hospital visits are an opportunity to engage smokers in tobacco treatment. However, little is known about engagement in follow-up referrals. The purpose of this study is to report the rates of program engagement and smoking cessation outcomes of patients referred to a specialist outpatient tobacco treatment program after a hospital visit or other referral.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was used to examine the outcomes of 486 participants referred to a hospital-based smoking cessation clinic provided by tobacco treatment specialists. Referral sources, demographics and smoking, medical, psychiatric, and substance use history were obtained. The main outcomes of interest were engagement in the program and 7-day point-prevalence of smoking abstinence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-eight percent of participants who were referred to the program were considered "engaged," of which 70% were from hospitals, 4% from community programs, 11% were from general practitioners, and 16% were self-referrals. Thirty-percent (98/331) of engagers were abstinent by time of chart review (30% from the hospital, 8% from community programs, 19% from general practitioners, and 39% of self-referrals). Having quit for 1 month or longer at the past quit attempt, greater confidence in quitting smoking, lower expired carbon monoxide levels at baseline, and greater duration in the program were significant predictors of successful smoking cessation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing tobacco treatment follow-up and referral for smokers after a hospital visit is important to enhance smoking cessation efforts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Referral to evidence-based tobacco treatment after hospital visits is effective. Models of tobacco treatment based on sources of referral should further be explored.
authors: Vancouver General Hospital, Smoking Cessation Clinic, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors: Milan
authors: M
authors: Khara
authors: College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors: Chizimuzo
authors: C
authors: Okoli
authors: College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors: Vaishnavi Divya
authors: VD
authors: Nagarajan
authors: Vancouver General Hospital, Smoking Cessation Clinic, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors: Faisal
authors: F
authors: Aziz
authors: Vancouver General Hospital, Smoking Cessation Clinic, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Hanley
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome