Non-primary care physicians and smoking cessation counseling: Women Physicians' Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
The Women Physicians' Health Study (WPHS) offers a unique opportunity to examine the counseling and screening practices of women physicians in various specialties. In this study we describe the prevalence of self-reported counseling on smoking cessation among non-primary care women physicians and examine the association between their demographic, professional, and personal characteristics and such counseling on smoking cessation.


METHODS
Conducted in 1993-1994, WPHS is a nationally representative cross-sectional mailed survey of U.S. women physicians with 4,501 respondents representing all major specialties. Physicians in 9 specialty areas were grouped in 6 categories: (1) anesthesiology; (2) general surgery and surgical subspecialties; (3) emergency medicine; (4) medical subspecialties; (5) psychiatry; and (6) other. Frequent counseling was defined as having counseled patients who were known smokers at every visit or at least once a year.


RESULTS
Overall, 45% of the physicians frequently counseled smokers to quit. Medical subspecialists (80%) were most likely and psychiatrists (29%) least likely to counsel frequently. Specialty, perceived relevance of counseling to the physician's practice, and self-confidence in counseling about smoking cessation were associated with frequent counseling.


CONCLUSIONS
Cessation counseling by non-primary care physicians can reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Increasing perceived relevance and self-confidence among this group of physicians, combined with implementation of system changes and the creation of physician accountability can facilitate the provision of such counseling.
Easton
A
A
Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. ace7@cdc.gov
Husten
C
C
Elon
L
L
Pederson
L
L
Frank
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States