S. DEPARTMENT of HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES (2005) It is related that "diffusion of innovations that prevent disease and promote health requires a multilevel change process that usually takes place in diverse settings, through different strategies." At the individual level, involved is a change in lifestyle. At the organizational level "it may entail starting programs, changing regulations, or altering personnel roles." (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005)

III. LINKING FRAMEWORK to PROBLEM/INTERVENTION

THE INTERVENTION

The intervention in this study will be the formulation and implementation of a screening tool for lung cancer for women who smoke by PCPs and furthermore to assist healthcare providers in gaining the knowledge and confidence to provide smoking cessation counseling to their patients. The most important risk factor for lung cancer is stated to be cigarette smoking. As a matter of fact, 87% of all lung, bronchial and tracheal cancer is attributed to smoking." (Humphrey, Teutsch, and Johnson, 2007) p. 1

IMPLEMENTATION

The current screening regime in the United States is practically nonexistent. (Humphrey, Teutsch, and Johnson, 2007) Crane states that the "...fundamentalist clinical goal is to achieve cessation before the onset of serious disease." p.117 Crane additionally relates that "physicians play an important role in encouraging the transformation from nicotine addict to recovering ex-addict." p.118 Implementation will be in PCPs office who serves low-income women who are also smokers who desire to quit or who have never been presented with the possibility of assistance to quit smoking. This intervention will assist healthcare providers in gaining the necessary knowledge and confidence to offer this smoking cessation counseling to their patients.

IV. EVALUATION

HEALTH POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The initial costs for implementation of this screening tool are relatively little as initially the PCPs will provide women who smoke with the information and knowledge that there are supports in ceasing to smoke. If health care plans presently offered treatment for smoking cessation the result...

Furthermore, if healthcare providers felt more knowledgeable and confident in their counseling skills they would more likely assess and counsel their female patients who smoke.
ACCESS, QUALITY, COST

Healthcare provider counseling cost between $700 and $2,000 per year of life saved compared to the many thousands spent to treat lung cancer with only a 15% 5-year survival rate. The amount saved by this intervention is astronomical when comparing healthcare provider counseling vs. lung cancer treatment. Moreover, assistance to individuals in ceasing to smoke potentially save the lives of many women who would otherwise continue to smoke until afflicted by lung cancer or some of life-threatening and debilitating disease.

V. CONCLUSION

Adoption and implementation of a cancer screening tool in the form of physician counseling concerning cessation of smoking for those who smoke is an intervention that is promising in assisting many smokers to stop smoking thereby prolonging their life and improving their quality of life.