Gaps in Knowledge and Practice in Treating Tobacco Use Among Non-physician Healthcare Professionals and Lay Health Workers in Chicago, Illinois

Objective To conduct a needs assessment for lay health workers and non-physician healthcare professionals [i.e., community health workers (CHW) and lung health professionals who spend more time face-to-face with tobacco-related disparity populations] to describe current gaps in tobacco cessation practices and knowledge. Methods A 46-item needs assessment survey was developed to understand knowledge, practices, and confidence about tobacco cessation among non-physician health professionals in a large, urban city in the U.S. Participants, recruited from local community-based organizations and email listservs, completed the online or paper survey, which included a 10-item investigator-initiated tobacco knowledge questionnaire. Results About 61.5% of participants (N = 53) asked each client/patient about tobacco use at initial visit, 41.8% reported extreme likelihood of discussing tobacco during a visit, and 43.1% reported addressing tobacco use directly. Despite assisting with cessation, tobacco-related knowledge and confidence was low, with respondents scoring an average of 4.08 out of 10 (SD = 2.21) on the tobacco knowledge questionnaire. Conclusion There was a clear lack of knowledge about tobacco cessation in the U.S. among non-physician healthcare professionals. These professionals could benefit from trainings that are relevant to their model of care and better equip them to assist the disparity populations that they serve.