Society has been developing various smoking cessation programs for several decades. None of them is one hundred percent effective, and researchers have yet to create a program that would target every sector of the population. However, the wheel of community organizing, developed by the Marine Institute, explains how to implement comprehensive prevention initiatives such as smoking cessation effectively. This method’s effectiveness can be ensured by understanding and specifying the program’s participants’ problems, followed by implementing the course of action and celebrating the successful outcome.
The first step of the wheel is to listen to the community’s members and trying to understand their needs. This phase requires expressing a high level of empathy and sincerity to show that the organizer is willing to help. Without making it clear that the organization is offering help, individuals would be less motivated to go through their journey because they would feel alone. Aimer et al. (2016) describe the “ABC” smoking cessation pathway (Ask, Brief advice, and Cessation support) that was included in the smoking cessation program for people who have rheumatoid arthritis. It consists of three components that are aimed to help the individual to quit smoking.
The first one is to ask about smoking status, which is a crucial step because it helps the organizer identify the problem’s severity. It also validates the individual’s assessment of their situation and removes the room for interpretation. As Cohen et al. (2010) explain, by asking the individuals to provide information about their smoking status and the struggles associated with it, the organizer reduces the chance of misinterpretation of their problems. The second and the third steps of the “ABC” pathway are to “give brief advice to stop smoking to all smokers and provide evidence-based cessation support for those who wish to stop smoking” (Aimer et al., 2016, p. 30). These two steps establish the connection between the organizer and the person who receives help because it shows the organizer’s commitment and willingness to assist. One of the methods of providing support that Aimer et al. (2016) list is to offer nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The keyword is to “offer” and not “enforce,” which gives the individual freedom in treating their smoking habit.
After the organizer and the person receiving treatment make the connection, they need to understand how to implement the share information into the smoking cessation program. The second phase of the wheel of community organizing is evaluating the challenge and taking the right course of action (Cohen et al., 2010). El Hajj et al. (2017) describe how the professionals of the smoking cessation program identified the challenges the participants were facing by asking whether the participant has been taking any medication that would interfere with the treatment or whether he is exposed to the circumstances that would contradict nicotine therapy. Davidson et al. (2018) based their research on smoking cessation program participants who were suffering from lung cancer. They argue that to improve the effectiveness of the programs, the specialists need to take into account the difficulties that cancer patients face while trying to quit smoking.
By identifying the main challenges that stop individuals from smoking, these methods combine individualistic and collective approaches in solving the problem. Cohen et al. (2010) explain that the second phase requires the differentiation of the community’s issues. By identifying the unique circumstances of the group, for example, the nuances of the cancer treatment and how it may affect the nicotine therapy, the organizer successfully initiates the second part of the wheel. Thereby, the specialist pays individual attention to each member of the community and considers their condition while simultaneously connecting the members who may experience the same difficulties. After specifying the problems, the organizer and the group must take action to achieve the resolution. Cinciripini et al. (2019) report the specific of the nicotine treatment that the patients were receiving ten to twelve weeks of “pharmacotherapy including nicotine replacement (patch or lozenge), bupropion, and varenicline, either alone or in various combinations” (p, 4). Here the medical assistance’s aim is not to identify the problem but to fix it.
The final step of the wheel of community organizing is the evaluation of the received treatment and celebration. El Hajj et al. (2017) indicate that the patients enrolled in the smoking cessation program were constantly subjected to participate in the follow-up sessions. During these sessions, the pharmacist asked the participant about their success in breaking the smoking habit. If they failed, the pharmacist carefully evaluated their fail attempt, addressing the challenges and what can be done next time to prevent the relapse. However, if they succeeded, the professional offered them positive reinforcement to keep their motivation up. It hardly can be interpreted as a celebration; however, both critical and positive feedback on the patient’s involvement in the program significantly improve the individual’s performance. Moreover, El Hajj et al. (2017) describe that the patients were offered to visit the smoking cessation clinic for more support in case of the successful completion of the program. This offer established the continuity of the community organization cycle, which encourages further improvement and future efforts.
References
Aimer, P., Treharne, G. J., Stebbings, S., Frampton, C., Cameron, V., Kirby, S., & Stamp, L. K. (2017). Efficacy of a rheumatoid arthritis–specific smoking cessation program: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Arthritis Care & Research, 69(1), 28-37. Web.
Cinciripini, P. M., Karam-Hage, M., Kypriotakis, G., Robinson, J. D., Rabius, V., Beneventi, D., Minnix, J. A., & Blalock, J. A. (2019). Association of a comprehensive smoking cessation program with smoking abstinence among patients with cancer. JAMA Network open, 2(9), 1-14. Web.
Cohen, L., Chavez, V., & Chehimi, S. (2010). Prevention is primary: strategies for community well being. John Wiley & Sons.
Davidson, S. M., Boldt, R. G., & Louie, A. V. (2018). How can we better help cancer patients quit smoking? The London Regional Cancer Program experience with smoking cessation.Current Oncology, 25(3), 226-230. Web.
El Hajj, M. S., Kheir, N., Al Mulla, A. M., Shami, R., Fanous, N., & Mahfoud, Z. R. (2017). Effectiveness of a pharmacist-delivered smoking cessation program in the State of Qatar: A randomized controlled trial.BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1-12. Web.