Project ECHO: TEACH

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death. The current smoking prevalence rate in Texas is approximately the same as the national average of 13.9%. However, this overall rate masks elevated prevalence in certain segments of the population including those with behavioral health disorders. On average, more than 44% of the behavioral health population smokes and the rates are twice as high depending on the severity and the type of mental disorder. Not only do people with psychiatric disorders have much higher than average prevalence of smoking, but research shows these individuals smoke more cigarettes per day than those without behavioral health disorders. Effective behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for tobacco use and dependence exist and are very cost-effective, but are underutilized even in the general population. Behavioral health smokers experience an additional set of barriers to tobacco treatments, which are specific to their psychiatric comorbidities. Therefore, it is critical to reach these patients with smoking cessation practices tailored to their needs.

The goal of this project is to sustain and increase access to specialized smoking cessation practices among health care providers. This will be accomplished by credentialing health care professionals through the University of Texas MD Anderson Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program by equipping them with the tools they need to provide expert care to those using tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems and utilizing the framework of Project ECHO to sustain and enhance their knowledge. The current project will use MD Anderson’s Tobacco Treatment Program as a model for intensive tobacco treatment.

To address smoking and other tobacco use among psychiatric consumers in Texas, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in 2015, awarded a grant entitled "Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF): Expanding the Integral Care Campus and Community Model into a Statewide Cancer Prevention Program" (PP130032; Co- PIs: Lam & Reitzel). The goal of TTTF was to implement a tobacco-free campus program in Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHA) across Texas and increase the delivery of basic smoking cessation intervention among the LMHA patients.

Expanding upon TTTF, Project TEACH was created as a project of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, funded by the Moon Shots Program™ and supported by the Cancer Prevention and Control Platform. Project TEACH uses the Project ECHO framework to increase access to specialized tobacco cessation treatment practices among LMHA providers. Following the inception of TEACH, MD Anderson was accredited by the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs to offer a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist training to increase healthcare provider knowledge in tobacco treatment through its 4 day intensive training. Project TEACH was a novel and complementary program for providers trained in-person. TEACH provides participants who were first trained in the intensive training program additional case consultation and education on emerging topics. The model then transitioned to expand availability more broadly to any health care provider interested in increasing their knowledge of tobacco treatment best practice through the all teach all model, which is a principle of Project ECHO.

Curriculum Topics

Click on any of the following links to view/download our previous slide presentations

• Motivational Interviewing in Tobacco Cessation: An Overview - Part I
• Neurobiology of Nicotine Dependence

Instructions to submit new cases:

1. Download the following template for cases: ECHO-TEACH Case Presentation Template
2. Fill out the form (auto-fill available)
3. Send to endtobacco@mdanderson.org by Friday morning

Continuing Education Credit

Instructions to obtain CME credit for attendance at the ECHO-TEACH clinic:

1. Review the following document for CME credit 
   CME Information/CME Disclosure Summary
2. Contact endtobacco@mdanderson.org to get the CME evaluation links
3. Complete the survey

Note: The CME survey link becomes active at the end of the clinic and expires at 10 a.m. the following Monday

Instructions to obtain CEU credit for attendance at the ECHO-TEACH Clinic:  

• Contact us by emailing endtobacco@mdanderson.org

Upcoming Events

• ECHO Clinic: Every Tuesday from 12-1 p.m. CST

Project TEACH Schedule

• February 2016 - October 2016  
• October 2016 - August 2017
• September 2017 - September 2018