Encouraging primary care physicians to help smokers quit. A randomized, controlled trial
S J Cohen1, G K Stookey, B P Katz
1Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Annals of Internal Medicine
|April 15, 1989
Summary
Primary care physicians can significantly increase smoking cessation rates by providing nicotine gum or using chart reminders. These simple interventions can help millions quit smoking annually.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care Medicine
- Public Health Interventions
- Smoking Cessation
Background:
- Smoking remains a significant public health concern.
- Primary care physicians play a crucial role in smoking cessation efforts.
- Effective, scalable interventions are needed to enhance physician impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate methods for increasing the effectiveness of primary care physicians in helping patients quit smoking.
- To assess the impact of nicotine gum availability and chart reminders on smoking cessation rates.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 112 general internists and 1420 adult smokers.
- Physicians were assigned to control, nicotine gum, chart reminder, or combined intervention groups.
- Smoking cessation was biochemically verified using alveolar carbon monoxide levels at 6 months and 1 year.
Main Results:
- Intervention groups (nicotine gum, reminders, or both) showed significantly higher quit rates compared to the control group at 1 year (8.8-15.0% vs. 2.7%).
- Physicians in intervention groups spent more time counseling patients on smoking cessation.
- Nicotine gum and chart reminders independently improved cessation outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The availability of nicotine gum and chart reminders are effective strategies for primary care physicians to improve smoking cessation success.
- These interventions can potentially help millions of additional smokers quit annually.
- Simple, low-cost interventions can significantly enhance physician-led smoking cessation efforts.
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