A systematic primary care office-based smoking cessation program

Area of Science:

• Primary Care
• Public Health
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Physicians face challenges in implementing smoking cessation interventions despite their potential effectiveness.
• A gap exists between the perceived importance and actual practice of smoking cessation support by healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the 2-year effectiveness of an integrated system designed to support physicians in smoking cessation activities for tobacco-using patients.
• To assess patient and provider acceptance and feasibility of the smoking cessation support system in a primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• An integrated system encompassing patient identification, progress tracking, physician messaging, and follow-up support was implemented.
• The system prioritized patients expressing interest in quitting tobacco use.
• Quit rates were monitored over a 2-year period in a primary care clinic.

Main Results:

• Initial implementation led to a threefold to fivefold increase in quit rates among all tobacco-using patients.
• After 2 years, the overall quit rate reached approximately 20%.
• Patients with more frequent clinic contact or a longer duration of engagement achieved higher quit rates (33%).

Conclusions:

• The integrated system is well-accepted by patients, physicians, and staff.
• This program provides necessary support for a feasible and effective long-term smoking cessation intervention in primary care.
• Physician-supported smoking cessation programs can significantly improve quit rates in clinical practice.