title: [Smoking cessation practice among Norwegian hospital physicians].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited data is available as to what extent Norwegian hospital doctors ask their patients about their smoking habits, and to what extent doctors offer their patients help in smoking cessation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 1,025 hospital doctors was mailed a questionnaire. After 14 days a reminder letter was sent to non-responders; 76% of the doctors responded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether 98% of the doctors stated that they asked their patients with smoking-related disease about their smoking habits. In cases of non-smoking related disease, 73% of the doctors stated that they asked about the smoking habits of their patients (83% of female and 69% of male doctors). If doctors knew that a patient wanted to quit smoking, 25% of them stated that they often recommended nicotine replacement therapy. Less than 7% of the doctors regularly offered smoking cessation courses, handed out self-assistant material, or gave the patients other smoking cessation advice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicates that doctors often ask their patients about their smoking habits, but there is clear potential for improvement as to the smoking cessation advice.
authors.affiliation: Lungeavdelingen Haukeland Sykehus, Bergen.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bakke
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Böker
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Diep
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grydeland
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brøgger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallefoss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D020445:Hospitalists; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010822:Physicians, Women; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires