ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Awareness and use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) has increased significantly in the last five years, but little is known about the experiences, satisfaction, opinions and preferences of e-cigs users. METHOD: 1177 participants completed an online survey about their electronic cigarette preferences, of which 200 were randomly selected for analysis. The data was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. RESULTS: Participants found the design, the ability to customize, and the quality of vapor to be the most important characteristics of the device. Participants thought the most positive aspects of e-cig use were help to quit smoking, improved overall health, and reduced cost. The negative aspects associated with use were mainly related to side effects, such as dry mouth. When asked to explain how e-cigs were used differently than cigarettes, participants reported puffing more regularly, but taking fewer puffs per session. CONCLUSIONS: Experienced e-cig users stated that initiating e-cig use helped them to quit or reduce their conventional smoking, which they believe reduced their health risks. In comparison to cigarette smoking, e-cig users reported using their e-cig more times per day, but with fewer puffs at each use time. Users acknowledged that more research is needed to understand the safety and long-term effects of use. They mentioned dry mouth as a common side effect and common problems with reliability of e-cigs. Understanding these views may help health professionals to assess and assist e-cig users, and in the future, may help regulators to improve quality and reduce risks.
ABSTRACT
In the 1970s, the field of medical humanities developed and included ethics, literature, history, integrative medicine, and other topics, most often described from a physician's perspective. During this same period of revolutionary changes in health care, nursing curricula did not seek to emphasize content in humanities, perhaps because stereotypical views of nursing as the "caring profession" made such coursework seem redundant. In 2001, as a result of the Institute of Medicine's call for all health professionals to be educated in interdisciplinary teams, there was a new focus on the importance of interdisciplinary education. Collaborative experiences in the humanities can foster professional relationships that lead to professional growth, promote collaboration, and enhance patient-centered care. The purpose of this article is to describe the relevance of humanities to the interdisciplinary education and practice of health care providers. This article extends the thinking about the value of interdisciplinary education beyond the traditional dimensions of evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics to humanities. Ways to provide nurses and physicians with interdisciplinary humanistic experiences are illustrated through an overview of projects jointly developed by the School of Nursing and the College of Medicine at The Pennsylvania State University.
