Characteristics of the four stages for smoking cessation and elements needed for transition

Stage	System for tobacco control	What does patient receive to help quit smoking?	Extent of provider’s involvement in tobacco control	What data are available?	What is needed for transition to the next stage?
1	None	Care is haphazard, varies greatly by provider and site	Only zealots	Data from researchers; focus on research needs rather than patient care or quality improvement	Measurement of adherence to guidelines and performance needs to matter
2	Consistent but not coordinated	Consistent advice, often from nursing staff	At least minimal	Process measures	Patient’s needs
3	Coordinated, visit based	Consistent help; requires coordination between nursing staff and providers	At least moderate	Process measures, patient data	Accurate database of all smokers
4	Coordinated, population based	Consistent tailored help; requires coordination between nursing staff and providers and also approach for outreach and quality monitoring	At least moderate	Process, utilisation, population data