The goal of the SC CAN Quit Initiative is to implement the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Cessation in South Carolina’s Cancer Centers by changing the clinical culture and practice patterns to ensure that every newly diagnosed patient being treated for cancer who uses tobacco is identified and documented in the patient record, advised to quit, and offered evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, including addressing relapse.

In this program all patients identified as smokers are documented as such in the electronic medical record, counseled on the importance of quitting and electronically referred to the SC Quitline vendor (Optum) and to TelASK.

The SC Quitline begins proactive calls to the patient shortly after the clinic visit and TelASK initiates long term follow-up 30 days later. TelASK asks about smoking status, medication use and offers to “warm transfer” the patient back to the Quitline for additional help quitting. It also provides detailed monthly reports to the individual clinics and to the program sponsors on reach rates and patient reported outcomes.