A review of the effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings

Abstract

The aim of this review was to systematically review the effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings (acute, maternity and mental health settings). The initial search and screening stages were combined with a parallel review of the barriers to and facilitators for implementing smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings conducted by members of the same research team.The review aimed to address the following questions:Question 1: How effective are strategies and interventions for ensuring compliance with smokefree legislation and local smokefree policies in secondary care settings?Subsidiary question: How does the effectiveness vary for different population groups, health status or speciality care services?Question 2: Are there any unintended consequences from adopting smokefree approaches in acute and maternity care settings?Question 3: Are there any unintended consequences from adopting smokefree approaches in mental healthcare settings?As the extent of evidence on the effectiveness of smokefree strategies was limited to two studies for Question 1, the data are also presented from identified effectiveness studies with a comparative design to measure indicators of compliance in settings which had a smokefree policy with at least one supporting strategy covering the whole estate or an indoors-only policy.