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Physicians are best counselors for smoking cessation

Quality Improvement Monitor, September 17, 2004

Physicians are the most effective messengers when it comes to counseling patients about smoking cessation, according to a new review of scientific literature. That's because patients listen to their physicians more than anyone else when discussing tobacco cessation.

Authors Margaret Kuder Hamilton, MHPE, CHES, and Nina Markovic, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, shared their findings at the 6th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, held in August in Washington, DC. More than 20% of American adults smoke. Every year, physicians come into contact with 70% of these smokers, presenting them with the best opportunity to promote tobacco cessation, the researchers conclude. About half of long-term smokers die from tobacco-related diseases.

Among their findings:

• A three-minute intervention by a physician with a patient led to a 30% increase of cessation, the authors found.

• A 10-minute intervention led to a 60% increase.

• Physicians were more effective than nurses or other clinicians at smoking cessation counseling.

• Smokers reported more satisfaction with their physician if the physician talked with them about their tobacco use, regardless of whether they decided to quit.

"Patients listen to their doctors better than anyone else about smoking cessation," says Hamilton. "All healthcare providers should be able to advise patients to quit, and discuss both behavioral techniques that can improve the probability of a successful quit attempt as well as use of pharmacological aids."

She urges all physicians, regardless of specialty, to respectfully reinforce cessation at every patient visit, and to offer their support when the patient is ready to quit.

-- Wendy Johnson
wjohnson@hcpro.com

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