The Implementation of Ask-advise-connect in a Federally Qualified Health Center: a Mixed Methods Eva

Shorey Fennell B, Cottrell-Daniels C, Hoover DS, Spears CA, Nguyen N, Piñeiro B, McNeill LH, Wetter DW, Vidrine DJ, Vidrine JI.
The Implementation of Ask-advise-connect in a Federally Qualified Health Center: a Mixed Methods Evaluation Using the Re-aim Framework
Transl Behav Med. 2023 Mar 31:ibad007. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibad007. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37000697.

Ask-Advise-Connect (AAC) efficiently links patients who smoke in healthcare settings with evidence-based Quitline-delivered tobacco treatment through training clinic staff to systematically ask patients about smoking status, advise smokers to quit, and connect patients with state Quitlines using the electronic health record. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, guided by the RE-AIM framework, to evaluate the implementation of AAC in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). AAC was implemented for 18 months at a FQHC serving primarily low-socioeconomic status (SES) Latinos and Latinas. Results are presented within the RE-AIM conceptual framework, which includes dimensions of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Quantitative patient-level outcomes of reach, effectiveness, and impact were calculated. Findings have implications for streamlining clinical smoking cessation procedures and the potential to reduce tobacco-related disparities.