Smoking status identification: two managed care organizations' experiences with a pilot project to implement identification systems in independent practice associations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether managed care organizations (MCOs) can effectively promote the sustained use of smoking status identification systems among independent practice associations. STUDY
DESIGN: Quasi-experimental design measuring smoking status documentation before and after an intervention.
METHODS: A chart review of the MCOs' patients at 4 participating primary care clinics determined the baseline for smoking status documentation before intervention. Baseline data were unavailable from a fifth participating clinic. Two quality improvement personnel were sent by the MCOs to help the clinics chose and implement a system for identifying smoking status. All of the clinics chose a sticker system. The change in smoking status documentation was assessed by chart reviews of patients enrolled in the MCOs who were seen during the period between 3 and 16 months after implementation of the system.
RESULTS: Following the intervention, a significant increase in smoking status documentation was noted among participating clinics. The proportion of patients whose smoking status was identified and documented by any method increased from 50% to 87% (P < .01) at the 4 clinics with baseline data. By clinic, the increase varied from 6% to 60%. The sticker system was the method by which most patients' smoking status was documented (77%). There were no controls, so the influence of outside factors, including a regional smoking cessation campaign that coincided with this study, cannot be quantified.
CONCLUSIONS: Managed care organizations may be an effective change agent for implementing the guidelines for tobacco use and dependence treatment.