ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Smoking during pregnancy has been linked with such negative outcomes as increased risk for spontaneous abortions, low birth weight, and perinatal and neonatal mortality. In spring 1998 three leading health care systems in San Diego initiated the Trilateral Partnership ("the Partnership"), whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of children. The Partnership chose tobacco control in pregnant women and their families as its first initiative. PROGRAM COMPONENTS-YEAR ONE (1999): Three interventions were developed: intervention by the prenatal care provider, initiation of a referral process to telephone counseling for pregnant women, and intervention for women reporting spontaneously quitting smoking. To date, 83% of the more-than 20,000 women who have been seen in prenatal screening in 28 months counted themselves as nonsmokers. Eleven percent of the women reported they independently stopped smoking once they learned they were pregnant. Six percent reported that they were still smoking. Twenty-three percent of the women reported living in a household with other smokers. PROGRAM COMPONENTS-YEAR TWO (2000): Activity focused on continuing the previous components, hospital intervention for all new mothers at the time of delivery, pediatric intervention at the newborn's visits at 2 and 6 months of age, and development and refinement of a telephone protocol for new parents. ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS: The noncontroversial topic of encouraging smoking cessation during pregnancy was one that enhanced immediate buy-in by most individuals contacted to support and engage in the program. Strong commitment and financial support from three health care systems opened doors for the Smoke-Free Families staff and increased the program's visibility in the community.
Subject(s)
Guideline Adherence/organization & administration , Health Promotion/organization & administration , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Prenatal Care/organization & administration , Smoking Cessation/statistics & numerical data , Smoking Prevention , Adult , California , Cooperative Behavior , Counseling , Family Health , Female , Hospitals, Pediatric , Humans , Infant Welfare , Infant, Newborn , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Pregnancy , Program Evaluation , Referral and Consultation , Smoking/adverse effects , Smoking Cessation/methods , TelephoneABSTRACT
In the complexity of integrated delivery systems, the triad of clinicians, financial analysts, and information management personnel can partner to form an effective force in driving outcomes management efforts. Health care systems can take the opportunity to rethink outcomes management strategies with an emphasis on monitoring cost and quality simultaneously. Advanced practice nurses, with a wide breadth of knowledge obtained through higher education, are positioned to be active, effective team members at all points in the outcomes management process.
