Maintenance of a smoking cessation program in public health clinics beyond the experimental evaluation period

Objectives. As phase 3 of a study to evaluate a smoking cessation program in public health practice, the authors assess the maintenance and impact of the It's Time smoking cessation program in seven public maternal and child health clinics in Chicago. Methods. The authors interviewed 404 clinic patients in the study's baseline phase (prior to introduction of the It's Time intervention program), and 610 in the program maintenance phase (in the year after experimental evaluation had ended) to assess exposure to smoking cessation interventions offered at the clinic, and smoking cessation outcomes (quit, actions toward quitting, scores on action, motivation, readiness, and confidence scales). The authors controlled for clustering of smokers within clinics, smokers' characteristics prior to clinic visit, and type of clinic service. They compared outcomes by study group (control or intervention) to which each clinic had been assigned in the earlier experimental phase, Results. Compared to baseline, smokers in the maintenance phase had greater exposure to posters, provider advice and booklet, and better outcomes on seven of eight smoking cessation measures, including quitting. These improvements were larger for clinics with prior experience implementing It's Time. Conclusion. Participation in the experimental evaluation of the It's Time program prepared and possibly motivated the clinics to continue the program. Continuing the program resulted in greater delivery of interventions and improved smoking cessation outcomes for smokers in the clinics.