Training of general practitioners about smoking cessation counseling

To study general practitioners' knowledge regarding smoking and their formal educational training on quitting smoking and associated readiness for providing associated services.

This cross sectional study was carried out using an anonymous WHO based questionnaire. According to sample size estimated based on general practitioners' population ratio, review literatures and response rate probability; it was given to the 5140 general practitioners selected by random quota sampling method from a total of 25,600 practitioners all over the country at the time of the study.

There were 3804 (74%) males with 16% being smokers and 4.6% having a history of smoking. Thirty percent of the subjects felt that they were ready for smoking cessation counseling, but only 9% had received formal training for it during medical school or post graduate training, while more than 80% perceived such training as necessary. Smoking cessation intervention during physician visits was associated with increased patient satisfaction especially among those who smoked.

Formal training for smoking cessation among the study subject was inadequate. They were of the opinion that more courses should be included in medical school as better trained doctors could make good counselors.