| Summary: | Background and challenges to implementation
Tobacco
use is highly addictive and harms every organ in the body. Tobacco users are therefore likely high among healthcare users and look to health professionals first for
help and support.
To
effectively delivery on this high expectation health professionals need to work in supportive
environments.
Hospital
and healthcare services have an obligation to reduce the use of tobacco in all
its forms and its deleterious health effects. This obligation should be seen in
a larger dimension of tobacco control, tobacco cessation and prevention activities
in hospitals and healthcare facilities and should also include the
participation in tobacco prevention activities at community level to create a
tobacco free environment for all.
Intervention or response
By networking and using diffusion of
innovation theory strategies to support sharing and learning, the Global
Network for Tobacco-free Healthcare Services (Global Network) has developed an effective
implementation concept for tobacco management that is validated already in 22
countries globally.
The concept is centered on 8 Standards , supported
by a monitoring and quality improvement self-audit tool and a peer review recognition
process for high level implementation of the 8 Standards.
The
Global 8 Standards integrate FCTC guidelines and other key aspects for
tobacco control into a comprehensive, whole organisation and systematic approach.
Results and lessons learnt
Since its inception in 2000, the Global
Network has grown from 7 European members to 39 registered members in 22
countries worldwide . Many members are in themselves networks of multiple individual
healthcare services.
High level implementation has been verified,
validated and given global recognition in 5 Recognition GOLD Forum Processes to
30 healthcare services in 7 countries .
Conclusions and key recommendations
By
joining healthcare service globally together, the Global Network (www.ensh.org) believes that high level implementation in all healthcare
services of the 8 standards will contribute significantly to the delivery on FCTC
on a global level.
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