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. 2023 Jan 5;25(2):345-349.
doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac160.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tobacco Treatment Program Implementation at National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers

Sarah D Hohl  1 , Kimberly A Shoenbill  2 , Kathryn L Taylor  3 , Mara Minion  1 , Gleneara E Bates-Pappas  4 , Rashelle B Hayes  5 , Margaret B Nolan  6   7 , Vani N Simmons  8 , Michael B Steinberg  9 , Elyse R Park  10 , Kimlin Ashing  11 , Diane Beneventi  12 , Lisa Sanderson Cox  13 , Adam O Goldstein  2 , Andrea King  14 , Chris Kotsen  4 , Cary A Presant  15 , Scott E Sherman  16 , Christine E Sheffer  17 , Graham W Warren  18   19 , Robert T Adsit  7 , Jennifer E Bird  1 , Heather D'Angelo  1 , Michael C Fiore  1   7 , Claire Van Thanh Nguyen  1 , Danielle Pauk  1 , Betsy Rolland  1   20 , Nancy A Rigotti  21
Affiliations

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tobacco Treatment Program Implementation at National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers

Sarah D Hohl et al. Nicotine Tob Res. .

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted cancer screening and treatment delivery, but COVID-19's impact on tobacco cessation treatment for cancer patients who smoke has not been widely explored.

Aims and methods: We conducted a sequential cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 34 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers participating in NCI's Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I), across three reporting periods: one prior to COVID-19 (January-June 2019) and two during the pandemic (January-June 2020, January-June 2021). Using McNemar's Test of Homogeneity, we assessed changes in services offered and implementation activities over time.

Results: The proportion of centers offering remote treatment services increased each year for Quitline referrals (56%, 68%, and 91%; p = .000), telephone counseling (59%, 79%, and 94%; p = .002), and referrals to Smokefree TXT (27%, 47%, and 56%; p = .006). Centers offering video-based counseling increased from 2020 to 2021 (18% to 59%; p = .006), Fewer than 10% of centers reported laying off tobacco treatment staff. Compared to early 2020, in 2021 C3I centers reported improvements in their ability to maintain staff and clinician morale, refer to external treatment services, train providers to deliver tobacco treatment, and modify clinical workflows.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition to new telehealth program delivery of tobacco treatment for patients with cancer. C3I cancer centers adjusted rapidly to challenges presented by the pandemic, with improvements reported in staff morale and ability to train providers, refer patients to tobacco treatment, and modify clinical workflows. These factors enabled C3I centers to sustain evidence-based tobacco treatment implementation during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implications: This work describes how NCI-designated cancer centers participating in the Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) adapted to challenges to sustain evidence-based tobacco use treatment programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work offers a model for resilience and rapid transition to remote tobacco treatment services delivery and proposes a policy and research agenda for telehealth services as an approach to sustaining evidence-based tobacco treatment programs.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Change over time in tobacco cessation services and modalities offered between Jan–June 2019 and Jan–June 2021 at NCI-designated cancer centers (n = 34). Figure 1 illustrates the five services with the greatest change over time. See Supplemental Table 1 for change over time for all services and referrals offered.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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