Smoking Intervention Practices in Texas Healthcare Centers with Sexual and Gender Minority Patients.

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for smoking cessation in centers providing behavioral healthcare for patient populations that included some proportion of sexual and gender minorities (SGMs).

Methods: Healthcare providers from 75 healthcare centers across Texas serving SGMs with behavioral health needs participated in a survey assessing their center's tobacco control policies and practices.

Results: Nearly half (N = 36) of participating centers had a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace policy, 30.67% employed ≥1 tobacco treatment specialist, 73.91% employed ≥1 prescriber, 80.82% mandated screening for patient tobacco use at intake, and 57.53% provided a template for tobacco use assessments. Overall, 70.67% of providers asked patients about smoking status, 69.33% advised patients to quit, 64.00% assessed patients' interest in quitting, 58.67% assisted patients with quit attempts, and 36.00% arranged follow-up. Providers' ability to tailor interventions for special populations like SGMs ranged from very low/0 to very high/10 (M = 4.63 ± 2.59).

Conclusions: There are opportunities to improve policy implementation, standardization and usage of evidence-based interventions, and intervention tailoring within settings providing care to SGM patients in Texas to better address their tobacco use inequities.