Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation: The Gap Between Behavior in Smokers and Medical Education.

INTRODUCTION: E-cigarettes have engendered a great deal of controversy within the public health and medical communities.  Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys were administered. First, patients at an annual lung cancer screening appointment who self-identified as former smokers were asked about strategies for achieving and maintaining smoking cessation with open-ended questions. Second, medical students at a single university reported their opinion and knowledge of combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes. RESULTS: Among the n=102 in the patient survey indicating that they used e-cigarettes or over-the-counter (OTC) nicotine replacement products for smoking cessation, 34.3% (35/102) vaped e-cigarettes, making it the second most common next to patches (47.1% {48/102}). By comparison, n=48 reported using medication. Medical student participants (n=168) were mixed regarding whether a patient should switch from traditional to electronic cigarettes (56.0% yes; 44.0% no) and reported receiving education about traditional cigarettes (92.3%) at a much higher rate than for e-cigarettes (46.4%), p<.001. CONCLUSION: Many former heavy smokers undergoing a lung cancer screen used e-cigarettes to achieve smoking cessation. However, nearly half of medical students surveyed do not think patients should switch from traditional to e-cigarettes.

Experiences of Rhode Island Assisted Living Facilities in Connecting Residents with Families through Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced assisted living facilities (ALF) to implement strict social isolation for residents. Social isolation in the geriatric population is known to negatively impact health. Here, we describe how ALFs in Rhode Island utilized device donations received from Connect for COVID-19, a nationwide nonprofit organization which has mobilized medical students to gather devices for donations to care centers. METHODS: Rhode Island ALFs were contacted to determine if they were interested in receiving smart device donations. After donations were made, an impact survey was electronically administered. Primary Results: A total of 11 facilities completed the survey with a response rate of 24% (11/46). The facilities were located throughout all five counties in Rhode Island, with the majority located in Providence County. All but one of the facilities that responded to the survey (n=10, 90.9%) have used the devices to allow residents to video-call their family members. Seven responses (63.6%) indicated that devices were used for more than one purpose. Primary Conclusions: Smart devices were well received by Rhode Island ALFs and used for purposes beyond video conference calls. ALFs should consider advertising the need for devices to encourage community donations. Future studies should investigate the direct impact that digital connectivity has had on Rhode Island ALF residents.