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Monitoring and data collection
Purpose
To evaluate how well your organisation is addressing smoking and providing ongoing support to clients.
Why this step is important
Providing consistent and routine support for clients to address smoking is one of the most important elements of a successful Tackling Tobacco project. The best way to ensure you continue to provide the best care is to accurately record smoking data and routinely report and monitor smoking data for quality improvement and assurance purposes.
Completion time
2-4 months
Who to involve
- Supervisors
- Staff
- Information technology staff
Steps to implement
In many cases it is easy to recognise if a client is a smoker, but asking a few questions during the intake process can improve your data recording.
- Do you smoke?
- Are you interested in reducing or quitting smoking?
- Would you like some support to reduce or quit?
Once your organisation routinely assesses smoking status of incoming clients and systematically records this data, you can then set achievable goals. Goals to support organisational change may include:
- proportion of clients for which smoking status is recorded
- proportion of identified smokers offered quit support
- reductions in smoking rates among clients.
Continuing to monitor smoking status and related data is important to maintain a high quality of care.
Routinely screening, assessing and recording smoking status and quit support information can:
- act as a prompt for staff
- help share the responsibility to address smoking
- highlight smoking care as a priority
- remind clients to think about and address smoking
- help you provide more holistic support.
Recording data on your clients’ smoking can enhance reporting as well as give you a clearer picture of the success of the project.
This information can be used for:
- organisational performance measurement
- quality assurance/quality improvement processes
- annual reports and strategic planning
- grant and funding initiatives.
Recording as many details and notes as possible will ensure that clients receive consistent support and as many opportunities as possible to make a quit attempt.
Regularly reporting smoking status and quit support offered against organisational goals and targets can:
- highlight smoking care as a priority
- motivate staff to continue quality improvement/maintain quality assurance
- help you evaluate goals and progress.
A post-project audit is the final step of your Tackling Tobacco project. By comparing the results to the baseline of your pre-project audit, you can:
- review and track changes
- evaluate goals and progress
- identify areas for improvement
- report measurable data to senior staff
And perhaps most importantly, the audit is a great opportunity to celebrate your success and achievements.