Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation

The Ottawa Model is the only clinical tobacco cessation program of its kind in Canada that systematically identifies, treats and follows smokers over the long term in hospitals, primary care clinics, and other outpatient settings. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) developed an implementation plan based on principles of change management and knowledge translation to assist other healthcare sites to implement the program. UOHI developed “Centres of Excellence” in eastern and western Canada – outreach “hubs” – that provide outreach facilitation and implementation support to sites in other Canadian provinces. The Ottawa Model Smoking Cessation program has the largest database of smokers identified within Canadian healthcare institutions that allows the tracking and support of smokers over the long-term, seamlessly linking smokers to community cessation programs and resources, and the ability to report back to key stakeholders. UOHI has become a knowledge leader in the area of tobacco cessation based on its numerous clinical trials and programs. The Ottawa Model Smoking Cessation program has reached thousands of health professionals and practitioners working directly with smokers each year through our comprehensive website, e-learning modules, intensive preceptorships, on-site trainings, the accredited Annual Ottawa Conference, and numerous publications and invited presentations. To determine the impact of the Ottawa Model, all sites evaluate their patient smoking prevalence and 6 month quit rates before and after program implementation. Once the program is launched, each smoking cessation consultation is recorded in the program database from which data is compiled to report program performance back to the sites and demonstrate program activities to stakeholders. In Ontario, the program has been found to improve long term quit rates of hospitalized smokers by an absolute 11.1% (29.4% vs. 18.3%; odds ratio = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.11– 2.64; Z =2.43; I 2 = 0%; p = .02). A 3-fold increase in quit rates has been observed in primary care patients who enroll in the Ottawa Model’s telephone follow-up program. By the end of March 2012, a total of 144 healthcare settings had implemented the Ottawa Model and at least 16000 healthcare professionals had been trained to provide smoking cessation intervention. As a result, more than 74000 smoker-patients have been treated across Canada.