Increasing capacity to treat tobacco use and dependence in the Alaska Tribal Health System

Goal: The goal of this project is to create an online tobacco treatment specialist training program that increases the accessibility and ease for healthcare providers and professionals to be trained on how to help individuals quit tobacco. 
Target population: Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death among Alaska Native people and American Indian/Alaska Native people have the highest tobacco use rates in the world (ALA, 2011). While overall tobacco use rates among adults in the United States and Alaska are decreasing, since 1996, the tobacco use rate among Alaska Native adults has remained steady and has not decreased significantly (BRFSS, 2012). 

Project: This project will develop a comprehensive online Tobacco Treatment Specialist training program based on the current in-person ANTHC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training program. This training will allow health care professionals to meet the health care system standards for treating tobacco use administered by their organization and the Alaska Tribal Health System (ATHS). This program will include all components of the ANTHC ATTUD accredited in-person TTS training.

Evaluation: The ANTHC Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, in partnership with SBS, will monitor the number of healthcare professionals who successfully complete the TTS online training program using an online database program. National standards and measures required within the ATHS will be reviewed quarterly to ensure tobacco use status and screening for tobacco use improves as more providers in the ATHS are trained.