Case Study
Our YooQuit Care online interactive platform is currently being used in the Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (BHFT) as part of their initiative to become a smokefree organisation by 2015.
Evidence shows that people with a mental illness are 70% more likely to smoke compared to somebody without a mental illness and because of their heavy dependency on nicotine, they are perceived to be a difficult group to engage with to quit smoking. Previously smoking cessation was not a high priority as smoking was often seen to be a control factor in relieving stress and anxiety amongst mental health patients and Healthcare Professionals did not feel confident to encourage them to quit smoking.
Dr. Lisa McNally, Public Health Consultant, Bracknell Forest Council said: “There is a misconception that smokers living with mental health problems are unlikely to give up smoking. However, evidence shows that they can quit successfully given the right support. YooQuit Care is useful as it gives professionals working in mental health settings the confidence to raise the issue of smoking and help kick start successful quit attempts.”
Solutions 4 Health introduced YooQuit Care, an online interactive learning system. YooQuit Care allows professionals to gain the knowledge and skills required for effective brief intervention. It contains a whole host of tips for how to approach the issue of smoking in a non-judgmental and supportive way, and if appropriate, refer on to the Smokefreelife Berkshire stop smoking service.
Following completion of the online training in the BHFT, YooQuit Care has been proven to significantly increase the confidence levels of staff, with 93% of the 1500 users feeling more comfortable in brief intervention and 86% feeling assured that they can successfully help smokers to quit.
YooQuit Care lets Healthcare Professionals work through the programme at their own pace, through practical exercises and features that aim to increase confidence in carrying out brief interventions. YooQuit Care’s scrapbook feature allows the user to drag and drop information to come back to for future reference in their own time, complete informative quizzes and review their confidence levels through questionnaires.
This digital training platform forms part of the wider initiative to support the Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (BHFT) in their wider goal to become completely SmokeFree by 2015. Solutions 4 Health will continue to by setting up Advisor supported clinics in mental health settings across Berkshire and visiting all Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) which will encourage referrals for all users of the service.
For more information on YooQuit Care contact: Leena Sankla MFPH, FRSPH, Public Health and Lifestyle Services Director, Solutions 4 Health, info@solutions4health.co.uk
