Telephone Care Coordination for Smokers in VA Mental Health Clinics

Telephone Care Coordination for Smokers in Mental Health Clinics

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a smoking cessation telephone care coordination program is effective and feasible in VA Mental Health Clinics.

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and is a particular problem among VA users and among persons with a diagnosed mental illness. The prevalence of smoking among VA mental health patients has remained high, in part because smoking cessation treatment rates have remained low. Telephone-based counseling represents the most feasible approach to increasing smoking cessation treatment among VA patients. The approach used in this study has been used very effectively in a primary care-based population that includes a large percentage of mental health patients. This project would target the program specifically at patients seen in VA Mental Health Clinics.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Smokers who are referred from Mental Health Clinics in VA VISNs 1 and 3.
• Patients must have access to a telephone and a regular mailing address.

Exclusion Criteria:

• No access to a telephone
• no mailing address
• not receiving care from a VISN 1 or VISN 3 Mental Health provider