Evaluation of smoking cessation practice by physicians for hospitalized patients in a tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate physicians' smoking cessation practice, consultation for smoking intervention for hospitalised patients and its determinants. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Duzce University Hospital, Duzce, Turkey, from January to April 2013, and comprised hospitalised patients. The survey, including smoking habits and 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange) steps of smoking intervention practiced by physicians was applied to those patients discharged from the hospital. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis.. RESULTS: Of the 502(31.6%) participants, 264(52.6%) were women and 238(47.4%) were men. The overall mean age was 52.8±18.2 years. Besides, 269(53.6%) respondents were at the level of elementary school education; 289(57.6%) had chronic disease; 119(23.7%) were current and 106(21.1%) were former smokers. The frequency of current smokers among men with chronic disease was significantly lower compared to those who did not have chronic disease (p=0.017). In women, the factor was insignificant (p=0.642). The physicians practiced the steps of "Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange" on 354(70.5%), 240(47.9%), 194(38.7%), 88(17.6%) and 29(5.8%) patients for active smoking. Consultation during hospitalization significantly increased patient's effort to quit smoking after discharge (p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking intervention by physicians for hospitalised patients was associated with the status of patient's gender, education level and chronic disease.

Comparison of smoking habits, knowledge, attitudes and tobacco control interventions between primary care physicians and nurses.

BACKGROUND: Primary care providers are uniquely positioned to initiate smoking cessation. We aimed to evaluate knowledge levels about the health effects of smoking and attitudes toward smoking and tobacco control activities among primary care providers. METHODS: In the cross-sectional and primary care-based study, self-administered surveys modified from the WHO Global Health Professional Survey 5A steps of smoking cessation practice (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange) were provided to primary care physicians (PCPhs) and nurses (PCNs). RESULTS: Respondents included 1182 PCPhs and 1063 PCNs. The proportions of current and former smokers were significantly higher among PCPhs than among PCNs (34.4 vs. 30.7 % and 14.0 vs. 10.1 %, respectively; both P < 0.001). We observed that 77.2 % of PCPhs and 58.4 % of PCNs always or rarely practiced an "Ask" step about their patients' smoking status (P < 0.001). One-third of PCPhs (33.8 %) stated that they always practiced an "Ask" step, whereas only 27.6 % of PCNs always did so in their practice (P < 0.001). A small minority of primary care providers had advised patients to quit smoking, although there was a significant difference in this between PCNs and PCPhs (8.4 vs. 15.6 %; P < 0.001). Most PCPhs considered themselves competent in advising about smoking interventions, but only a minority of PCNs did so (75.1 vs. 17.3 %; P < 0.001). Among barriers to tobacco intervention measures, lack of time was the item most commonly cited by PCPhs, whereas low patient priority was most commonly cited by PCNs (35.9 and 35.7 %; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking intervention practice by primary care nurses was quite low. Lack of time and low patient priority were identified as barriers by primary care providers. Strategies by which primary care providers could improve tobacco control should be established.