CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Enhancing access to smoking cessation support: The development of an online booking platform for smoking cessation specialists in Flanders (Belgium)
1
Respiratoire Gezondheid, Leuven, België
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2026;12(Supplement 1):A134
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND-AIM:
Despite the well-documented health and economic benefits of smoking cessation services, many smokers face barriers to access professional support. In Belgium, tobacco cessation services are provided by trained Smoking Cessation Specialists and partially reimbursed by the government. However, referrals by other healthcare professionals and uptake by smokers have remained suboptimal. To reduce barriers to evidence-based cessation support, an online platform (www.tabakologen.be) was redesigned to simplify access to Smoking Cessation Specialists for both smokers directly and indirectly via healthcare professionals. The aim is to facilitate early engagement with cessation services and reinforce the role of healthcare professionals as proactive referrers.
METHODS:
The platform was restructured to include a geolocation-based search function and a direct online booking system. Smokers can request an appointment with a certified smoking cessation specialist in their region. Additionally, healthcare professionals can request appointments on behalf of their patients. At the platform’s launch, website traffic and appointment requests were collected as a baseline measurement.
RESULTS:
Since the platform’s launch in May 2025, it has been visited 5910 times. In five months time 240 certified smoking cessation specialists are active on the platform, of whom 110 use the integrated online inbox for direct client appointment requests. A total of 395 appointment requests have been submitted via the online booking system, with a peak in June 2025. Of these requests, 385 were initiated by smokers themselves and 10 by healthcare professionals on behalf of their patients. This initial measurement serves as a baseline, providing a first snapshot of platform usage. In the coming period, efforts will focus on broader promotion of the platform and continued monitoring of appointment request trends to evaluate its impact quantitatively.
CONCLUSIONS:
Digital tools such as online booking systems could help bridge the gap between smokers and professional cessation support. This model demonstrates a scalable and practical approach to integrating cessation referral pathways into routine care.
Despite the well-documented health and economic benefits of smoking cessation services, many smokers face barriers to access professional support. In Belgium, tobacco cessation services are provided by trained Smoking Cessation Specialists and partially reimbursed by the government. However, referrals by other healthcare professionals and uptake by smokers have remained suboptimal. To reduce barriers to evidence-based cessation support, an online platform (www.tabakologen.be) was redesigned to simplify access to Smoking Cessation Specialists for both smokers directly and indirectly via healthcare professionals. The aim is to facilitate early engagement with cessation services and reinforce the role of healthcare professionals as proactive referrers.
METHODS:
The platform was restructured to include a geolocation-based search function and a direct online booking system. Smokers can request an appointment with a certified smoking cessation specialist in their region. Additionally, healthcare professionals can request appointments on behalf of their patients. At the platform’s launch, website traffic and appointment requests were collected as a baseline measurement.
RESULTS:
Since the platform’s launch in May 2025, it has been visited 5910 times. In five months time 240 certified smoking cessation specialists are active on the platform, of whom 110 use the integrated online inbox for direct client appointment requests. A total of 395 appointment requests have been submitted via the online booking system, with a peak in June 2025. Of these requests, 385 were initiated by smokers themselves and 10 by healthcare professionals on behalf of their patients. This initial measurement serves as a baseline, providing a first snapshot of platform usage. In the coming period, efforts will focus on broader promotion of the platform and continued monitoring of appointment request trends to evaluate its impact quantitatively.
CONCLUSIONS:
Digital tools such as online booking systems could help bridge the gap between smokers and professional cessation support. This model demonstrates a scalable and practical approach to integrating cessation referral pathways into routine care.
| eISSN: | 2459-3087 |
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