University of Wisconsin–Madison

Engaging Interested Parties

Interested parties are people who are invested in the implementation or effects of a tobacco treatment program or play important roles in the success of the program—including health system leadership, implementation and clinical care teams, and patients. The needs and interests of these parties should be represented throughout the tobacco treatment planning and implementation processes. Conducting needs assessments and focus groups with oncology care teams and patient populations can help you design and adapt your program.

Who to Engage

Representatives or team members from every level of the organization and the community served should be involved in program implementation. See the program planning tool for information about roles varied team members may play in your program. This will increase the likelihood that tobacco treatment will be prioritized and successfully implemented.

To get a sense of the breadth of interested parties who may be involved in implementation teams launching a tobacco treatment program, see the list of roles involved in establishing eReferral to a state tobacco quitline in this quitline eReferral guide.

Engaging community partners in program design and promotion may also enhance your program’s impact in your catchment area. See the Treatment for All Patients module for more information.

How to Engage Them

Implementation and Clinical Care Teams

It is important that a foundation for treating tobacco use is established and becomes a priority among all staff. Staff who feel motivated, supported, and adequately trained will enhance tobacco treatment programs.

Patient and Patient Representatives

Engaging patients diagnosed with cancer in tobacco treatment can be challenging due to many factors, including stigma, fatalism, and stress. The following strategies can help enhance patient engagement and satisfaction with treatment.

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Involve patients, patient representatives, and community groups in tobacco treatment program design, implementation, and evaluation. Engage patient/survivor advisory boards, advocates, navigators, and community organizers as key collaborators, and coordinate efforts with programs that already support your patient community. See Case Studies C, N, O, and R for examples of programs that do this successfully.

Hire staff from the communities served, and train clinical care teams in culturally concordant patient engagement and the tobacco use burden experienced by the particular communities served. See the Treatment for All Patients module for additional resources and information.

  • Encourage your Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS) to participate in community outreach, engagement, and education activities.
  • Tailor your education materials to your patient population. Design patient education and communication materials that represent all patients and providers. Translate media into the languages used by your patient population. See the Implementation Module Resources page for more guidance.
  • Use empathic, culturally competent, and person-centered language when talking to patients about tobacco use and treatment. Consider patient experiences of stigma when developing this language. See the Why, When, and How page for example scripts.
  • Diversify treatment components and modalities to provide options that meet patient needs, preferences, and access. See the Treatment Models, Sample Workflows, and Case Studies pages for many various program design options.

Roadmap Navigation

Tools

Advice from a C3I Grantee

“Create a standing leadership committee, and request an IT specialist as an active workgroup member.”