National smoking cessation support and care education program in Hungary National Centre for Smoking Cessation Support, National Koranyi Institute for Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary

Abstract

Introduction For the last few years Hungary have strengthened its comprehensive tobacco control effort, and these anti-smoking measures have resulted in decrease in the prevalence of smoking (2009: 38% vs. 2016: 28%). This was based on intensified smoking prevention efforts together with increased activity in smoking cessation support with the establishment of our National Centre for Smoking Cessation Support (NCSCS) in 2012. Aim and objective: Our aim was to assess the different of activities carried out by the NCSCS in 2017 including its Quitline service and its educational programme for counsellors and health care professional. Methods We carried out a prospective follow-up on our clients receiving smoking cessation support using WHO-based motivational protocol given by the Quitline service. We analysed our education programs that included different activities, such as lectures, personal workshops, short seminars, webinar for nurses, and public community events. Results Our Call centre was contacted by 2727 clients among them 757 self-managed and 1970 clients referred by their doctors. 1047 clients completed four sessions cancelling successfully. At the end of the programme, 17.3% of clients reported that s/he successfully stopped smoking. We provided smoking cessation support education for 1200 medical doctor in form of lectures, for 215 allied health care professionals in one or two days long “train the trainer” workshops and for other 200 in the form of webinars. We provided cessation related information for more than 10.000 lay people in different large community events including the National Heart Day and COPD World Day. Conclusions Quitline service is an efficient way of smoking cessation support in our hands. The diversification of educational activites with tailored programmes helps to reach wide scale of health care workers and lay people. Funding Hungarian government (TAMOP), Eastern Europe Nurses’ Centre of Excellence for Tobacco Control (EE-COE) project.