Workshop to summarize the data collection phase of the project “mHealth Messaging to Motivate Quitline Use and Quitting (M2Q2)”

On the morning of April 16, 2021, the Institute for Population, Health and Development (PHAD) collaborated with the Hung Yen Department of Health held a workshop to summarize the data collection phase of the project “mHealth Messaging to Motivate Quitline Use and Quitting (M2Q2)”. The workshop was attended by representatives of the Hung Yen Department of Health province; staff of the Respiratory Center – Bach Mai Hospital, staff of 04 District Health Centers (DHC) in My Hao, Khoai Chau, Van Lam, Yen My district and staff of 04 Commune Health Station (CHS) in Bach Sam, Tan Viet, Binh Minh, Viet Hung commune. The workshop was to summarize the results in the stage of data collection; to share and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of implementing project activities in communes.

As a representative of the Hung Yen Department of Health, as well as the project coordinator in the province, Mr. Nguyen Van Tam – Deputy Head of Medical Department gave the opening speech at the workshop. The M2Q2 research project received the approval of Vietnam Union Of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) on February 12, 2018. The project is a cooperative program between University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMASS); the Quitline, Respiratory Center, Bach Mai Hospital; Hung Yen Department of Health and PHAD from 2018 to 2022. Four communes selected for the project are Bach Sam commune of My Hao district, Tan Viet commune of Yen My district; Binh Minh commune of Khoai Chau district and Viet Hung commune of Van Lam district. PHAD is the project’s coordinator and manager in Vietnam.

During the workshop, on behalf of M2Q2 project staff of PHAD, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Binh gave a presentation on the preliminary results of the data collection phase in Hung Yen province. Accordingly, smokers in Bach Sam, Tan Viet, and Binh Minh, Viet Hung commune have been recruited from November 23, 2018 to October 7, 2020 (lasts 23 months), reaching 750 participants. Follow-up surveys were assessed smoking cessation after 6 months were conducted from May 31, 2019 and ended on April 8, 2021 (lasting 23 months), of which 569 people were directly evaluated and 172 people were assessed via phone. The 9 people left could not be assessed because of the death or the loss of keeping in touch.

With the aim of increasing access to the Bach Mai Quitline, Dr. Pham Thi Le Quyen – Respiratory Center officer of Bach Mai Hospital, presented the close coordination with the project in counseling, guiding and encouraging smokers in Hung Yen to quit smoking. As a result, 79 participants approached the Quitline of Bach Mai Hospital.

In the discussion session, Mr. Vuong Tuan Anh – M2Q2 Project Coordinator and staff directly implementing local data collection activities of CHSs in Bach Sam, Tan Viet, Binh Minh, Viet Hung commune shared the advantages/disadvantages of recruitment, follow-up events and the results achieved. Accordingly, the project acknowledges the efforts of commune health workers who have worked closely with the project to complete the data collection phase in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. Especially, short counseling to encourage and guide smokers to quit smoking was also maintained by health workers after the project.

Photo 4: Mr. Vuong Tuan Anh – Project Cooridinator host the discussion about project activites (Source: PHAD)