PESCE Projec
short summery
In June 2006, the European Commission awarded a 60% co-funding to PESCE, a European project drawing together 31 partners from 27 countries. The grant was awarded because of its multidisciplinary, multicultural and innovative nature, linking social and economic considerations. The PESCE project runs from September 2006 to May 2008 and operated with a total budget of 658.000 €. Fifteen associated partners contributed financially and shared the scientific responsibility of the project. Another sixteen collaborating partners contribute their expert advice and experience as well as high level experts chosen for their special knowledge and scientific reputation.
Tabac & Liberté (France), the largest non-governmental organisation in Europe specialising in smoking cessation training of General Practitioners and health professionals at a national level, is the initiator and co-ordinator of this large-scale project. The elaboration of the PESCE project together with the European project partners is based on four previous EU projects in the field of general practitioners, health professionals and smoking cessation which were finalised between 1998-2006.
Project objectives
The general objectives of the project were to develop evidence based policy recommendations and practice based implementation strategies through a large scale European consultation process, taking into account national and cultural specificities:
- Promote increased smoking cessation interventions of General Practitioners (GPs) in Europe by addressing the socio-economic environment of their practice
- Highlight the economic benefit from increased smoking cessation interventions on the health care budget in Europe.
- Motivate decision makers to change the working environment of GPs through political measures
Project work plan
To reach our objectives, the PESCE project was divided in several work packages which were implemented under the responsibility of one or more associated partners:
- Project management and coordination;
- International review of the literature on factors that facilitate and hinder use of smoking cessation interventions by GPs, and of interventions to change GP behaviour;
- Review of the grey literature in 27 countries in Europe;
- Estimate of the costs and benefits of measures to increase general practitioner advice giving with respect to smoking cessation;
- Organization of an expert meeting in Warsaw to develop evidence based policy recommendations;
- Organization of a stakeholder conference in Barcelona to develop European and international implementation strategies based on the policy recommendations elaborated at the Warsaw expert meeting;
- Publication of a European project report, translation of the executive summary in all languages of the EU and dissemination of policy recommendations on the internet and through national press conferences and events;
- Project evaluation.
Outcomes
- Report on costs and benefits of measures to increase general practitioner advice giving with respect to smoking cessation
- Report on factors that facilitate and hinder use of smoking cessation interventions by GPs, and of interventions to change GP behaviour
- European consensus on evidence based policy recommendations and practice based implementation strategies to improve smoking cessation interventions of GP’s in Europe
- Better integration of prevention in health care systems in Europe.