Alere, together with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), launched an exciting new research study in March. The study team, led by Dr. Jonathan Bricker, will be testing the effectiveness of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a telephone-delivered smoking cessation intervention.  ACT is a unique empirically based psychological intervention that focuses on helping individuals become aware of and accept their thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions related to quitting tobacco and to make a commitment to quit.  The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of ACT counseling to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) counseling offered through the quitline.  In this two-arm randomized control trial, 120 participants will be recruited.  Half of study participants will receive standard CBT through the quitline while the other half will receive ACT counseling from counselors at FHCRC. The study team expects recruitment to last through 2012 and analysis to begin in 2013.

Read about our other Research Studies

Training Services is pleased to announce the launch of a new, interactive online training for the District of Columbia Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program.  Together with three webinars to enhance and supplement the online training, this completes our first ever training package tailored to mental health and substance abuse providers.

The goal of the training is to increase tobacco treatment in mental health and chemical dependency facilities, ultimately helping to increase quit attempts by individuals served by these organizations, thereby reducing the health impact of smoking on DC residents.  The training provides an overview of the impact of tobacco use on this populations, instruction and demonstrations of the brief tobacco intervention, referral resources in the DC area, an overview of pharmacotherapy options for tobacco users who want to quit, as well as links to in-depth tobacco treatment research and information and community programs and resources.

View the training

The Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) eliminated county-level tobacco programs in early 2011 and later in July reduced Quit Line services to serve only a limited population due to funding.  While programs were experiencing cuts, the Tobaco Cessation Resource Center (TCRC) training and outreach contract that WA DOH has with Alere Wellbeing was maintained to provide ongoing consultation services and resources in the absence of tobacco programs.  In March, 2012, WA DOH renewed the TCRC contract with Training Services to support health care providers in Washington State with training services to help them intervene and support their patients in making quit attempts.

View the Provider Resources Website