From Bust to Boom, the Tale of How We Did It

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Initiative Type
Model of Care
Status
Sustained
Added
Last updated

Summary

The Queensland Government strongly supports the delivery of smoking care to improve the quality of life for all mental health clients. To encourage Queensland Health mental health clinicians to support clients to quit, the Mental Health Clinical Collaborative (MHCC) developed Smokefree Indicators and made a Smokefree Community Quality Improvement Payment available to community mental health services who achieved the Smokefree Indicator within specified timeframes.

Between July and December 2017, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service mental health community teams achieved the best results across the state. This is particularly significant as in the previous reporting period they had achieved some of the lowest results in the state.

Key dates
Jul 2017
Nov 2017
Implementation sites
The MHCC Smokefree Indicator for community mental health was rolled out state-wide across all Hospital and Health Services. This project focuses upon implementation in West Moreton Hospital and Health Service, specifically in Goodna CCT and Gailes CCU.
Partnerships
Preventive Health Branch

Aim

Mobilise mental health community teams to inspire and support their colleagues and address barriers to supporting consumers to quit.

Benefits

  • Support and education.
  • Health promotion and smoking cessation education.

Background

Compared with the general population, people with mental illness have higher smoking rates and levels of nicotine dependence, limited access to cessation treatment, longer durations of smoking, lower rates of quitting, have a higher risk of death from smoking-related illnesses because of their psychiatric condition.

Despite smokers with a mental illness being as motivated to quit as the general population, and cessation being linked to improved physical and mental health, they are less likely to be offered support to quit (1).

Solutions Implemented

Portfolio holders were identified within Goodna Community Care Team (CCT) and Gailes Community Care Unit (CCU). Portfolio holders were from a nursing background and with a specific interest in health promotion.

Portfolio holders:

  • Obtained approval to purchase Smokelyzers to provide psychoeducation to clients
  • Supported staff to use Smokerlyzers and how to discuss results with clients
  • Educated colleagues about benefits for clients when they reduce or stop smoking and how to apply recovery principles when talking to clients about managing their smoking 
  • Assisted colleagues to complete Smoking Cessation Clinical Pathway (SCCP) with clients
  • Informed colleagues about appropriate smoking cessation referral pathways including Quitline
  • Met with clients who attended depot clinics at Goodna Community Health Centre and completed SCCP with them
  • Sent colleagues regular reminders about using Smokerlyzers, completing SCCP and that they were available to provide assistance

Portfolio holders continue to support clients and colleagues using the strategies above.

Evaluation and Results

The Mental Health Clinical Collaborative (MHCC) ran reports and provided these to Hospital and Health Services to monitor performance regarding the Smokefree Indicator for Community Health clients. West Moreton Health Mental Health and Specialised Services (MHSS) had some of the lowest results in the state. By the end of the reporting period they had some of the best results in the state.

Lessons Learnt

One of the most commonly reported barriers was staff not feeling confident to have conversations about smoking with clients, particularly if the staff member was a smoker themselves.

References

(1) Greenhalgh, EM., Stillman, S., & Ford, C. 7.12 Smoking and mental health. In Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors]. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria; 2016. Available from http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-7-cessation/7-12-smoking-and-mental-health.

Further Reading

Smokefree - On this site you’ll find support, tips, tools, and expert advice to help you or someone you love quit smoking.

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Key contact

Beth Jarvinen
Clinical Nurse
West Moreton Hospital and Health Service
(07) 3646 8400
Beth.Jarvinen@health.qld.gov.au

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