Developing needs assessment protocols for smoking cessation system development

Reducing the burden of tobacco disease requires a comprehensive smoking cessation system with multi-level interventions (policies and programs) that address individual, environmental, institutional, and social systems. An overall vision for smoking cessation in Ontario has been developed and provides a basis for evaluating the adequacy of the existing system. Those responsible for comprehensive local tobacco control need protocols for assessing and planning local systems consistent with this vision. A pilot study, aimed at determining the methodology needed to reveal the needs for a comprehensive smoking cessation service, was conducted in a Public Health Unit in Ontario. This session will present the rationale and mixed methods approach (environmental scan; randomized phone survey; street intercept survey; semi structured interviews with smokers and with key informants) employed in order to assess needs for systems changes. The multiple perspectives and different types of data were needed to examine the complex smoking cessation system and its gaps. The protocols that were developed as well as the plans to disseminate and support the implementation of these tools will be discussed.