Tobacco quitline staffs' knowledge and attitudes about connecting quitline callers to lung cancer screening educational materials.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of training quitline staff in lung cancer screening (LCS) on knowledge and attitudes towards connecting quitline callers to LCS educational materials. METHODS: We conducted a pre-post evaluation within a larger implementation project in the U.S. to support LCS among quitline callers. From July 2020 to June 2021, staff from four quitline service providers completed surveys before and after training on LCS knowledge. After training, staff completed the acceptability of intervention measure, intervention appropriateness measure, and feasibility of the intervention measure. RESULTS: A total of 245 staff completed the initial demographic survey (analytic sample), 130 completed the pre-training survey, and 225 completed the post-training survey. Staff were on average 47.4 years old and 76.7% were female. LCS knowledge improved after the training (n = 120, mean difference = +26.5%, 95% CI 21.6, 31.4, p < 0.001). Overall, staff felt that connecting quitline callers to LCS education materials was acceptable (M = 4.0, SD = 0.8), appropriate (M = 4.1, SD = 0.7), and feasible (M = 4.0, SD = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Receiving training about LCS eligibility and the benefits and harms of screening improved LCS knowledge among quitline staff. Quitline staff found that connecting callers with LCS educational materials is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible, and aligned with their primary mission.

Comparative Effectiveness of Postdischarge Smoking Cessation Interventions for Hospital Patients: The Helping HAND 4 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Smoking cessation interventions for hospitalized patients must continue after discharge to improve long-term tobacco abstinence. How health systems can best deliver postdischarge tobacco treatment is uncertain. Objective: To determine if health system-based tobacco cessation treatment after hospital discharge produces more long-term tobacco abstinence than referral to a community-based quitline. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial was conducted September 2018 to November 2020 in 3 hospitals in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Cigarette smokers admitted to a study hospital who received brief in-hospital tobacco treatment and wanted to quit smoking were recruited for participation and randomized for postdischarge treatment to health system-based Transitional Tobacco Care Management (TTCM) or electronic referral to a community-based quitline (QL). Both multicomponent interventions offered smoking cessation counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for up to 3 months. Data were analyzed from February 1, 2021, to April 25, 2022. Interventions: TTCM provided 8 weeks of NRT at discharge and 7 automated calls with a hospital-based counselor call-back option. The QL intervention sent referrals from the hospital electronic health record to the state quitline, which offered 5 counseling calls and an NRT sample. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was biochemically verified past 7-day tobacco abstinence at 6 months. Self-reported point-prevalence and continuous tobacco abstinence and tobacco treatment utilization were assessed 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge. Results: A total of 1409 participants (mean [SD] age, 51.7 [12.6] years; 784 [55.6%] women; mean [SD] 16.4 [10.6] cigarettes/day) were recruited, including 706 randomized to TTCM and 703 randomized to QL. Participants were comparable at baseline, including 216 Black participants (15.3%), 82 Hispanic participants (5.8%), and 1089 White participants (77.3%). At 1 and 3 months after discharge, more TTCM participants than QL participants used cessation counseling (1 month: 245 participants [34.7%] vs 154 participants [21.9%]; 3 months: 248 participants [35.1%] vs 123 participants [17.5%]; P < .001) and pharmacotherapy (1 month: 455 participants [64.4%] vs 324 participants [46.1%]; 3 months: 367 participants [52.0%] vs 264 participants [37.6%]; P < .001). More TTCM than QL participants reported continuous abstinence for 3 months (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06-1.58) and point-prevalence abstinence at 1 month (RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.35) and 3 months (RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.37) but not at 6 months (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.99-1.29). The primary outcome, biochemically verified point-prevalence abstinence at 6 months, was not statistically significantly different between groups (19.9% vs 16.9%; RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.92-1.50). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, biochemically verified tobacco abstinence rates were not significantly different between groups at the 6-month follow-up. However, the health system-based model was superior to the community-based quitline model throughout the 3 months of active treatment. A longer duration of postdischarge treatment may sustain the superiority of the health system-based model. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03603496.

Quitline Programs Tailored for Mental Health: Initial Outcomes and Feasibility.

INTRODUCTION: The general efficacy of quitlines has been widely demonstrated, but uncertainty exists regarding how quitlines might best intervene for persons with mental health conditions. A total of 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has a diagnosable psychiatric disorder. These individuals smoke at 2‒4 times the rate of smoking among those without a mental health condition and face high rates of related death and disability. About half of quitline callers self-report a mental health condition, but until recently, quitline protocols tailored to these smokers did not exist. METHODS: This paper provides initial results for tailored mental health programs from the largest quitline providers in the U.S., Optum and National Jewish Health. From 2017 to 2018, cohorts of callers with a mental health condition who enrolled in tailored programs were compared with cohorts with a mental health condition who received standard care. Both mental health programs offered participants additional calls, longer duration of combination nicotine-replacement therapy, and attention to mental health issues. Analyses were conducted in 2018-2019. RESULTS: Findings suggest that callers with a mental health condition benefit from both standard care and tailored mental health services. Tailored programming did well in engaging people with mental health conditions. At the same time, there were no significant differences in abstinence rates when comparing mental health programs with standard care. Mental health cohorts did receive significantly greater service durations, more counseling calls, and longer nicotine-replacement therapy duration. CONCLUSIONS: Tailored mental health quitline programs present a promising framework for testing the services that address psychiatric symptoms as well as other frequent population characteristics such as chronic illness. Implications for increasing reach to the often underserved population with a mental health condition are discussed.

Smoking Cessation After Hospital Discharge: Factors Associated With Abstinence.

Hospitalization offers tobacco smokers an opportunity to quit smoking, but factors associated with abstinence from tobacco after hospital discharge are poorly understood. We analyzed data from a multisite, randomized controlled trial testin a smoking cessation intervention for 1,357 hospitalized cigaretts smokers who planned to quit. Using multiple logistic regression, we assessed factors identifiable in the hospital that were independently associated with biochemically confirmed tobacco abstinence 6 months after discharge. Biochemically confirmed abstinence at 6 months (n = 218, 16%) was associated with a smoking-related primary discharge diagnosis (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.41-2.77), greater confidence in the ability to quit smoking (AOR - 1.31, 95% CI: 1.07-1.60), and stronger intention to quit (plan to quit after discharge vs. try to quit; AOR = 1.68, CI: 1.19-2.38). In conclusion, smokers hospitalized with a tobacco-related illness and those with greater confidence and intention to quit after discharge are more likely to sustain abstinence in the long term. Hospital clinicians' efforts to promote smoking cessation should target smokers' confidence and motivation to quit.

Frequent Experience of LGBQ Microaggression on Campus Associated With Smoking Among Sexual Minority College Students.

Introduction: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer/questioning (LGBQ) microaggressions refer to often-unintentional insults, assaults, and invalidations that denigrate sexual minorities. While experiencing hostile discrimination and violence has previously been associated with elevated rates of smoking cigarettes for LGBQ college students, the relationship between LGBQ microaggressions and smoking is unknown. Methods: Data from a national anonymous online survey of sexual and gender minority college students were used to examine the relationship between past month cigarette smoking and interpersonal LGBQ microaggressions. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the relationship between smoking and frequent (chronic) experiences of microaggressions, using a hierarchical procedure to control for demographics, predictors of smoking, and academic factors. Results: Past year frequent LGBQ microaggression was reported by 48% of respondents and was more common among students who smoked in past 30 days. Experiencing past year physical violence was reported by 15% and did not differ by smoking status. Past year frequent experience of microaggressions was associated with increased odds of 1.72 (95% CI 1.03-2.87) for past 30-day smoking after adjusting for age, gender, race, socioeconomic indicators, alcohol misuse, physical violence, as well as academic stress and engagement. Conclusions: The results indicate that frequently experiencing LGBQ microaggressions is a risk factor for LGBQ college students smoking cigarettes. The mechanisms underlying this relationship require additional research, as does identifying positive coping strategies and institutional strategies to address LGBQ microaggressions on campuses. Tobacco control efforts should consider the impact of microaggression on the social environment for the prevention and treatment of tobacco use among LGBQ individuals. Implications: Microaggressions related to sexual minority identity include subtle forms of discrimination experienced during daily interactions that can create hostile and stressful social environments for a socially disadvantaged group. Prior research has demonstrated that LGBQ college students have higher rates of cigarette smoking, and that experiencing identity-based violence is a risk factor. This study revealed that experiencing frequent LGBQ microaggressions on college campus is associated with increased likelihood of current smoking among LGBQ college students.

Using Bioinformatics to Treat Hospitalized Smokers: Successes and Challenges of a Tobacco Treatment Service.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals face increasing regulations to provide and document inpatient tobacco treatment, yet few blueprint data exist to implement a tobacco treatment service (TTS). METHODS: A hospitalwide, opt-out TTS with three full-time certified counselors was developed in a large tertiary care hospital to proactively treat smokers according to Chronic Care Model principles and national treatment guidelines. A bioinformatics platform facilitated integration into the electronic health record to meet evolving Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services meaningful use and Joint Commission standards. TTS counselors visited smokers at the bedside and offered counseling, recommended smoking cessation medication to be ordered by the primary clinical service, and arranged for postdischarge resources. RESULTS: During a 3.5-year span, 21,229 smokers (31,778 admissions) were identified; TTS specialists reached 37.4% (7,943), and 33.3% (5,888) of daily smokers received a smoking cessation medication order. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of receiving a chart order for smoking cessation medication during the hospital stay and at discharge were higher among patients the TTS counseled > 3 minutes and recommended medication: inpatient AOR = 7.15 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.59-7.75); discharge AOR = 5.3 (95% CI = 4.71-5.97). As implementation progressed, TTS counseling reach and medication orders increased. To assess smoking status ≤ 1 month postdischarge, three methods were piloted, all of which were limited by low follow-up rates (4.5%-28.6%). CONCLUSION: The TTS counseled approximately 3,000 patients annually, with increases over time for reach and implementation. Remaining challenges include the development of strategies to engage inpatient care teams to follow TTS recommendations, and patients postdischarge in order to optimize postdischarge smoking cessation.

Electronic Cigarette Use Among Counseled Tobacco Users Hospitalized in 2015.

OBJECTIVES: Few studies have examined the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among the inpatient population regardless of the patients' cessation goals. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among counseled tobacco users admitted to 2 academic hospitals. METHODS: Cross-sectional data of hospitalized adult tobacco users who were admitted between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 and who received bedside tobacco cessation counseling from a tobacco treatment service counselor were examined. Demographic and smoking history items were compared as a function of electronic cigarette use using chi-square and independent t tests. Logistic regression was used to test independent associations with electronic cigarette use. RESULTS: Of 2194 hospitalized tobacco users counseled, 22% had used an electronic cigarette. Most of these patients used electronic cigarettes to quit or reduce use of combustible cigarettes. Adjusted odds of electronic cigarette use were higher for females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.60 for male patients, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.76), younger patients (AOR 0.98 for older patients, 95% CI 0.97-0.99), and individuals who initiated tobacco use earlier in life (AOR 0.97 for later smoking initiation, 95% CI 0.95-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Screening hospitalized cigarette smokers for electronic cigarette use offers an opportunity to counsel all patients on evidence-based quit aids. Young, female patients are most likely to use electronic cigarettes and may benefit most from directed discussions about electronic cigarette use and Federal Drug Administration-approved cessation methods during smoking cessation counseling.

Postdischarge smoking cessation in subgroups of hospitalized smokers: A latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalization presents a window of opportunity to treat smoking, and hospital-initiated smoking treatment has demonstrated effectiveness. Despite effective interventions, not all smokers will discontinue use, highlighting the need to better understand which patients achieve cessation. Traditional regression methods may not capture the complexity of inpatient smoker subgroups. METHODS: Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted with data from 397 hospitalized adult cigarette smokers enrolled in a randomized trial. Six categorical indicator variables known to impact cessation were selected to estimate subgroups: health conditions (smoking-related disease [SRD], depressive symptoms, positive screen for alcohol problems) and smoking-related variables (time to first cigarette, cigarettes/day, smoking indoors). The probability of achieving biologically verified 7-day tobacco cessation 6 months after discharged was estimated. RESULTS: A 3-class model best fit the trial data: a Light Smokers subgroup had lower probability for most indicators; a High Health Burden subgroup had high smoking behavior probabilities and similar health problems to the Light Smokers subgroup; and a Heavy Smoking Drinking Depressed subgroup had high nicotine dependence, depressive symptoms, and alcohol misuse probabilities. Probability of biologically verified cessation conditional on class membership was significantly higher (P < .001) for the High Health Burden and the Light Smokers subgroups compared with the Heavy Smoking Drinking Depressed subgroup. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that subgroups with lower probabilities of alcohol misuse and depression and higher probability of SRD had higher probability of successful cessation after hospital discharge. Hospitalized patients with nicotine dependence combined with behavioral and mental health problems have additional cessation barriers that may require intervention focus.

A Post-Discharge Smoking-Cessation Intervention for Hospital Patients: Helping Hand 2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Hospitalization provides an opportunity for smokers to quit, but tobacco-cessation interventions started in hospital must continue after discharge to be effective. This study aimed to improve the scalability of a proven effective post-discharge intervention by incorporating referral to a telephone quitline, a nationally available cessation resource. STUDY DESIGN: A three-site RCT compared Sustained Care, a post-discharge tobacco-cessation intervention, with Standard Care among hospitalized adult smokers who wanted to quit smoking and received in-hospital tobacco-cessation counseling. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,357 daily smokers admitted to three hospitals were enrolled from December 2012 to July 2014. INTERVENTION: Sustained Care started at discharge and included automated interactive voice response telephone calls and the patient's choice of cessation medication for 3 months. Each automated call advised cessation, supported medication adherence, and triaged smokers seeking additional counseling or medication support directly to a telephone quitline. Standard Care provided only medication and counseling recommendations at discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Biochemically confirmed past 7-day tobacco abstinence 6 months after discharge (primary outcome) and self-reported tobacco abstinence and tobacco-cessation treatment use at 1, 3, and 6 months and overall (0-6 months). Analyses were done in 2015-2016. RESULTS: Smokers offered Sustained Care (n=680), versus those offered Standard Care (n=677), did not have greater biochemically confirmed abstinence at 6 months (17% vs 16%, p=0.58). However, the Sustained Care group reported more tobacco-cessation counseling and medication use at each follow-up and higher rates of self-reported past 7-day tobacco abstinence at 1 month (43% vs 32%, p<0.0001) and 3 months (37% vs 30%, p=0.008). At 6 months, the difference narrowed (31% vs 27%, p=0.09). Overall, the intervention increased self-reported 7-day abstinence over the 6-month follow-up (relative risk, 1.25; 95% CI=1.10, 1.40; p=0.0006). CONCLUSIONS: A 3-month post-discharge smoking-cessation intervention for hospitalized smokers who wanted to quit did not increase confirmed tobacco abstinence at 6 months but did increase self-reported abstinence during the treatment period (3 months). Real-time linkage of interactive voice response calls to a quitline, done in this trial to increase scalability of a previously proven cessation intervention, demonstrated short-term promise but did not sustain long-term intervention effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01714323.

Identifying Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Search Terminology: A Systematic Review of Health Systematic Reviews.

Research on the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations can provide important information to address existing health inequalities. Finding existing research in LGBT health can prove challenging due to the plethora of terminology used. We sought to describe existing search strategies and to identify more comprehensive LGBT search terminology. We iteratively created a search string to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses about LGBT health and implemented it in Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases on May 28-29, 2015. We hand-searched the journal LGBT Health. Inclusion criteria were: systematic reviews and meta-analyses that addressed LGBT health, used systematic searching, and used independent coders for inclusion. The published search terminology in each record and search strings provided by authors on request were cross-referenced with our original search to identify additional terminology. Our search process identified 19 systematic reviews meeting inclusion criteria. The number of search terms used to identify LGBT-related records ranged from 1 to 31. From the included studies, we identified 46 new search terms related to LGBT health. We removed five search terms as inappropriate and added five search terms used in the field. The resulting search string included 82 terms. There is room to improve the quality of searching and reporting in LGBT health systematic reviews. Future work should attempt to enhance the positive predictive value of LGBT health searches. Our findings can assist LGBT health reviewers in capturing the diversity of LGBT terminology when searching.

Prescription opioid use: Patient characteristics and misuse in community pharmacy.

OBJECTIVES: Opioid pain medication misuse is a major concern for US public health. The purpose of this article is to: 1) describe the demographic and physical, behavioral, and mental health characteristics of patients who fill opioid medications in community pharmacy settings; and 2) describe the extent of opioid medication misuse behaviors among these patients. DESIGN: We recruited and screened a convenience sample of patients with the use of a tablet computer-based assessment protocol that examined behavioral, mental, and physical health. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated to describe respondents and their opioid medication misuse and health characteristics. SETTING: Patients were screened in 2 urban and 2 rural community pharmacies in southwestern Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Survey participants were adult patients filling opioid pain medications who were not currently receiving treatment for a cancer diagnosis. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Validated screening measures included the Prescription Opioid Misuse Index, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test C, Short Form 12, Drug Abuse Screening Test 10, Primary Care Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) screen, and the Patient Health Questionnaire 2. RESULTS: A total of 333 patients were screened (71.2% response rate). Nearly the entire population reported pain above and general health below national norms. Hydrocodone (19.2%) and morphine (20.8%) were found to be the medications with the highest rates of misuse-with hydrocodone having more than 4 times higher odds of misuse compared with other medications (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-17.4). Patients with positive screens for illicit drug use (AOR 8.07, 95% CI 2.7-24.0), PTSD (AOR 5.88, 95% CI 2.3-14.7), and depression (AOR 2.44, 95% CI 1.0-5.9) also had significantly higher odds for misuse compared with those with negative screening results. CONCLUSION: These findings provide important foundational data that suggest implementation of regular opioid misuse screening protocols within community pharmacies. Such screening activities could foster a culture of prevention and overall reduction for misuse among patients filling opioid medications in community pharmacies.

Developing a framework of care for opioid medication misuse in community pharmacy.

BACKGROUND: Prescription opioid misuse is a major public health concern in the US. Few resources exist to support community pharmacists engaging patients who misuse or are at risk for misuse. OBJECTIVES: This report describes the results of the execution of the ADAPT-ITT model (a model for modifying evidence-based behavioral interventions to new populations and service settings) to guide the development of a behavioral health framework for opioid medication misuse in the community pharmacy setting. METHODS: Pharmacy, addiction, intervention, and treatment experts were convened to attend a one-day meeting to review the empirical knowledgebase and discuss adapting the screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) protocol for addressing opioid medication misuse in community pharmacy. Qualitative data gathered from the meeting were analyzed by 2 independent coders in a 2-cycle process using objective coding schemes. Percentage of agreement and Cohen's Kappa were calculated to assess coder agreement. RESULTS: First-cycle coding identified 4 distinct themes, with coder percentage of agreement ranging from 93.5 to 99.6% and with Kappa values between 0.81 and 0.93. Second-cycle coding identified 10 sub-themes, with coder percentage of agreement ranging from 83 to 99.8% and with Kappa values between 0.58 and 0.93. Identified themes and sub-themes encompassed patient identification, intervention, prevention, and referral to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Focus of screening efforts in the emerging model should capitalize on pharmacists' knowledge of medication management. Screening likewise should be multidimensional in order to facilitate patient-centered interventions that activate additional disciplines able to interface with patients at risk or involved in medication misuse.

Effects of brief intervention on subgroups of injured patients who drink at risk levels.

Alcohol-related injuries are a major source of admission for trauma care. Screening and brief intervention (SBI) for injured patients can result in decreased drinking and risk behaviors. It is not clear SBI is equally beneficial for all injured patients. A secondary data analysis of 553 patients admitted to two Level-1 trauma centers was conducted. Latent class analysis was used to identify patient subgroups based on injury-related risks and consequences of alcohol use. Intervention effects on drinking were examined among subgroups. Five subgroups were identified. Drinking improved in patients reporting multiple risks and injuries/accidents and drinking and driving. Patients that reported drinking and driving and taking foolish risks or fighting while drinking and taking foolish risks did not show improvements. Trauma centers may benefit from targeting interventions based on injury-related risks and consequences of alcohol use. Further research is needed to test bedside approaches for tailored interventions.

Screening Community Pharmacy Patients for Risk of Prescription Opioid Misuse.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested screening feasibility and described the behavioral, mental, and physical health of patients filling prescriptions for opioid medications in the community pharmacy setting. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in rural/urban community pharmacies with adult noncancer patients. The survey included validated measures for opioid medication misuse risk, drug and alcohol use, and physical and mental health problems. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression evaluated relationships between opioid medication misuse risk and patient demographics, behavioral, mental, and physical health. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients completed the survey (87% response rate), revealing positive screens for prescription opioid misuse risk (14.3%), illicit drug use (7.3%), hazardous alcohol use (21.4%), depression (25.8%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 17.1%). Bivariate analyses revealed increased odds of a positive opioid medication misuse risk score with a positive screen for illicit drug use in the previous year (odds ratio = 3.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-14.63) and PTSD (odds ratio = 6.7; 95% CI, 2.54-17.69). In adjusted multivariable analyses, these relationships strengthened such that a positive screen for illicit drug use (adjusted odds ratio = 12.96; 95% CI, 2.18-76.9) and PTSD (adjusted odds ratio = 13.3; 95% CI, 3.48-50.66) increased odds for a positive opioid medication misuse risk score. CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirmed the feasibility of screening risk factors and positive opioid medication misuse risk among community pharmacy patients. Future research should validate these findings as a foundation to intervention development.

Comparative Effectiveness of Post-Discharge Strategies for Hospitalized Smokers: study protocol for the Helping HAND 2 randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation interventions for hospitalized smokers are effective in promoting smoking cessation, but only if the tobacco dependence treatment continues after the patient leaves the hospital. Sustaining tobacco dependence treatment after hospital discharge is a challenge for health care systems. Our previous single-site randomized controlled trial demonstrated the effectiveness of an intervention that facilitated the delivery of comprehensive tobacco cessation treatment, including both medication and counseling, after hospital discharge. We subsequently streamlined the intervention model to increase its potential for dissemination. This new model is being tested in a larger multi-site trial with broader eligibility criteria in order to enroll a more representative sample of hospitalized smokers. This paper describes the trial design and contrasts it with the earlier study. METHODS/DESIGN: A 2-arm, 3-site randomized controlled trial is testing the hypothesis that a multi-component Sustained Care intervention is more effective than Standard Care in helping hospitalized cigarette smokers stop smoking after hospital discharge. The trial enrolls adult daily cigarette smokers who are admitted to 1 of 3 participating hospitals in Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. Participants receive the same smoking cessation intervention in the hospital. They are randomly assigned to receive either Standard Care or Sustained Care after hospital discharge. Participants in the Sustained Care arm receive a free 3-month supply of FDA-approved smoking cessation medication and 5 interactive voice response calls that provide tailored motivational messages, medication refills, and access to a live tobacco treatment counselor. Participants in the Standard Care arm receive a smoking cessation medication recommendation and information about community resources. Outcomes are assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge. The primary outcome is biochemically-validated tobacco abstinence for the past 7 days at 6-month follow-up. Other outcome measures include self-reported tobacco abstinence measures, use of medication and counseling after discharge, hospital readmissions, and program cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION: We adapted a proven intervention for hospitalized smokers to enhance its potential for dissemination and are testing it in a multi-site trial. Study enrollment data suggests that the trial achieved the goal of recruiting a broader sample of hospitalized smokers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Comparative Effectiveness of Post-Discharge Strategies for Hospitalized Smokers (Helping HAND2) NCT01714323. Registered October 22, 2012.

Increasing prevalence of electronic cigarette use among smokers hospitalized in 5 US cities, 2010-2013.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the pattern of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use over time or among smokers with medical comorbidity. METHODS: We assessed current cigarette smokers' use of e-cigarettes during the 30 days before admission to 9 hospitals in 5 geographically dispersed US cities: Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Kansas City, KS; New York, NY; and Portland, OR. Each hospital was conducting a randomized controlled trial as part of the NIH-sponsored Consortium of Hospitals Advancing Research on Tobacco (CHART). We conducted a pooled analysis using multiple logistic regression to examine changes in e-cigarette use over time and to identify correlates of e-cigarette use. RESULTS: Among 4,660 smokers hospitalized between July 2010 and December 2013 (mean age 57 years, 57% male, 71% white, 56% some college, average 14 cigarettes/day), 14% reported using an e-cigarette during the 30 days before admission. The prevalence of e-cigarette use increased from 1.1% in 2010 to 10.3% in 2011, 10.2% in 2012, and 18.4% in 2013; the increase was statistically significant (p < .0001) after adjustment for age, sex, education, and CHART study. Younger, better educated, and heavier smokers were more likely to use e-cigarettes. Smokers who were Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and who had Medicaid or no insurance were less likely to use e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use also varied by CHART project and by geographic region. CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use increased substantially from 2010 to 2013 among a large sample of hospitalized adult cigarette smokers. E-cigarette use was more common among heavier smokers and among those who were younger, white, and who had higher socioeconomic status.