Overview of Approach
This vision of Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free New York is guided by the Public Health Service-sponsored Clinical Practice Guidelines on Tobacco Use and Dependence, which emphasize the use of “System Strategies” to achieve tobacco cessation goals. These Systems Strategies include:
- Implementing tobacco user screening systems
- Establishing networks that provide education, resources, and quality improvement feedback that promotes provider intervention for tobacco dependence
- Dedicating a tobacco dependence treatment coordinator to ensure provision of evidence-based treatment
- Ensuring evidence-based tobacco dependence treatments are universally-covered benefits by health plans
These strategies are being applied by the 10 Regional Contractors on the implementation level to achieve the goals of Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free New York project. The Center of Excellence for Health Systems Improvement (COE for HSI) incorporates these guidelines with the Health Impact Pyramid (Frieden, 2010) to inform resource and tool development, training and technical assistance, and overall support and guidance to Regional Contractors.
Frieden TR. A Framework for Public Health Action: The Health Impact Pyramid. American Journal of Public Health 2010; 100(4):590-595. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.185652.