Case Presentation – Ludivina Velazco Gutierrez M.Ed., LPC, TTS – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Didactic – Relapse Prevention for Tobacco Cessation by Melissa Macomber, MA, LPC – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project TEACH ECHO
Project TEACH (Tobacco Education and Cessation in the Health System) ECHO is a tele-mentoring program facilitated by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The aim of this program is to provide tobacco education, consulting and treatment strategies to clinical providers and health professionals through the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model. Project TEACH ECHO is available for all health care providers seeking knowledge to provide treatment services for tobacco and nicotine products. Our long-term goal is to prevent tobacco-related deaths by reducing smoking prevalence among Texans as well as the United States. Click here to view our FY2025 didactic schedule.
From our regular ECHO sessions, MD Anderson engages with an estimate of 500 healthcare providers in Texas, the U.S. and around the world. Click here to learn more.
Overview
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death killing more than 480,000 people a year. The current adult smoking prevalence rate in the United States is 12.5% which is estimated to be 30.8 million adults. In Texas, there is a prevalence rate of 13.1% or 2.8 million adults who currently smoke. However, smoking rates hide the elevated prevalence among certain populations such as youth and those with behavioral health disorders. Effective behavioral interventions and pharmacologic treatments for tobacco use and dependence exist and are very cost-effective, but are underutilized. Therefore, it is critical to reach these patients with tobacco and nicotine treatment services tailored to their needs and environment.
Studies estimate that each year family medicine practices have approximately 240 million opportunities to impact the tobacco use behaviors of Americans. Other studies have found that physicians and non-physicians produce the best results using multiple intervention strategies, and that self-help strategies alone are ineffective. This highlights current evidence that the most effective tobacco use treatment approach is combined counseling and pharmacotherapy.
The goal of Project TEACH is to increase access to and sustain specialized tobacco cessation practices among varying health care providers and educators using the Project ECHO framework created by The University of New Mexico. We also offer health care providers the opportunity to attend our Tobacco Treatment Training Program, and intensive training which equips providers with the tools they need to deliver expert care to those using tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems. Attendees of this training can utilize Project TEACH as a resource to sustain and enhance the tobacco treatment specialists' training curriculum following the intensive in-person training.
Through Project TEACH ECHO, MD Anderson engages with over 650 healthcare providers in Texas, the U.S. and around the world to increase provider knowledge and skills to treat tobacco and nicotine addiction among the patients and community they serve. An article describing how TEACH was used in its early stages, throughout Texas local mental health authorities can be found here: Cogent Medicine.
History
To address smoking and other tobacco use among psychiatric consumers in Texas, in 2015, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) awarded a grant to Rice University, The University of Houston, and Integral Care in Austin 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).
Expanding upon the goals of TTTF, Project TEACH was created by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in collaboration with TTTF investigators (UH, Rice, Integral Care in Austin), supported financially by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Moon Shots Program® and implemented by teams in Behavioral Science and the EndTobacco Program.
Session Resources
Session Schedule
Sessions are held virtually twice per month on Tuesdays from 12pm - 1pm CT. The Zoom link is sent via email the week of each session to the listserv. To join that list, email Echo-Tobacco@MDAnderson.org to complete a pre-assessment survey.
Presentation topics are subject to change based on speaker availability. You can download our 2024-2025 schedule here.
Publications
Case Presentation Sign Up
Each ECHO session has a case presentation component where you can ask the faculty and other participants for help with a patient situation or quality improvement of your treatment services. Below is additional information about care presentations and how to sign up for a date to present.
What to present as a case:
- Patient case help
- Assistance with strategies to improve treatment services
- Follow up from a previously presented case
Instructions to submit a case:
- Download the following template for cases: Project TEACH Case Presentation Template
- Fill out the form (auto-fill available)
- Send to Echo-Tobacco@MDAnderson.org to schedule a session date to present
Continuing Education Credits
Free continuing education credits are available to obtain for attending the live sessions only. We currently offer three types of continuing education credits:
- Continuing Education Units (for professional counselors such as MFT, MSW, LPCs, etc.)
- Continuing Education Units (for Tobacco Treatment Specialist)
- Continuing Medical Education (for MD, RN, AP, etc.) - Category 1
The University of Texas MD Anderson (CEU Povider #4607) is an approved continuing education provider for
Social Workers through the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. this activity has been approved for
continuing education units.
Instructions to Obtain Continuing Medical Education (CME/CEU) credits
- One time only - follow the instructions here to get started:
- Create an account in the MD Anderson Professional Education Portal (PEP @MD Anderson)
- Sync your phone to your PEP@MD Anderson account
- During each session:
- Text the event ID code provided to the PEP@MD Anderson system phone number
- You will receive a confirmation text once your attendance has been logged
- Complete the session evaluation at the end of each session
- Log into your PEP@MD Anderson account to view your credits on your transcript
Note: There is a limited timeframe to text in your attendance for CME credits. If you have any technical issues, email Echo-Tobacco@MDAnderson.org.
Session Video Gallery
Project TEACH ECHO Contacts
Sarah Garcia - Program Coordinator
Echo-Tobacco@MDAnderson.org
Mehwish Javaid - Program Manager
Echo-Tobacco@MDAnderson.org