The article, “Advancing Proficiencies for Health Professionals in the Treatment of Tobacco Use Among Marginalized Communities: Development of a Competency-Based Curriculum and Virtual Workshop,” has been published in SAj.
In this commentary, the authors state tobacco-related disparities are a leading contributor to health inequities among marginalized communities. Lack of support from health professionals is one of the most cited barriers to tobacco cessation reported by these communities. Improving the proficiencies with which health professionals incorporate social and cultural influences into therapeutic interactions has the potential to address this critical barrier. In general, training to improve these proficiencies has shown promise, but the specific proficiencies required for treating tobacco use among marginalized communities are unknown. Their project aimed to develop a competency-based curriculum to improve these proficiencies among health professionals with experience and training in the evidence-based treatment of tobacco use, and then pilot test the content delivered via an expert review of a virtual, self-paced workshop.
In the AUTHORS’ OWN WORDS, they relate the importance of their work:
“One of the most common and significant barriers to discontinuing tobacco use reported by these communities is a lack of support from health professionals. The ability of health professionals to incorporate social and cultural influences into therapeutic interactions and treatment plans is now recognized as essential to high quality health care. In general, training to improve these competencies has shown promise, however the competencies and skills required for treating tobacco use among marginalized communities are unknown. We propose that increasing the proficiencies with which health professionals incorporate social and cultural influences on tobacco use into therapeutic interactions will improve the quality and effectiveness of tobacco treatment provided to marginalized communities, and contribute to addressing a well-established barrier to discontinuing tobacco use among these communities.”
“This project aimed to develop a competency-based curriculum to improve these proficiencies among health professionals, develop a virtual, self-paced workshop, and then pilot test the workshop via expert review. Because the approach required an intensive focus on improving these proficiencies, the approach was developed for learners who already had basic knowledge and skills for treating tobacco use with evidence-based approaches. Treatment of tobacco use is delivered in many contexts by health professionals from multiple disciplines. Thus, to achieve our aim the approach required that we accommodate differences in treatment settings and professional disciplines.”