Tobacco Control Training Programme for health professionals of the Catalan Network of Smoke-Free Hospitals: 11-year experience

Abstract

Background and challenges to implementation The Catalan Network of Smoke-Free Hospitals (XCHSF), with 82 hospitals of Catalonia, is coordinated by the Catalan Institute of Oncology and supported by the Health Department of the Catalan Government. This public health programme is intended to design, scale down, and evaluate tobacco-control policies within its members. In this context, we aim to describe the Tobacco Control Training Programme initiated in 2006 addressed to health professionals to provide knowledge and skills to effectively uphold tobacco cessation services. Intervention or response The XCHSF's Training Programme is based on the identified needs detected in a baseline study conducted in 2005. It offers specific contents provided annually by a qualified group of experts in the field. Three modalities have been launched since 2006: a) face-to-face training courses on specific topics about smoking cessation intervention, b) a Train-the-Trainer Programme, and c) an on-line course about brief intervention on smoking cessation. Courses information is spread among hospital coordinators and posted online. All courses are accredited by the Official Administration and a certificate of completion is provided after participants' knowledge assessment. Participants are also required to evaluate the course and the trainer/s. Results and lessons learnt Since its beginnings in 2006, the XCHSF's Training Programme has increased its offer from 1 to 7 different topics of courses. Results on participation up to July 2017 indicate that 1,427 professionals have attended face-to-face courses since 2006; more than 2,700 professionals have been trained through the Train-the-Trainer Programme since 2009, and 1,474 professionals have finished the online course through several editions since 2014. The overall satisfaction reaches ≥8.5/10. Conclusions and key recommendations Offering a wide and continuous range of training activities is essential for having skilled health professionals in smoking cessation in hospitals. The XCHSF's Training Programme is an educational resource that reinforces public health promotion in the territory and fosters the implementation of tobacco control strategies in hospitals.