[Smoking cessation in primary and specialized care: a real opportunity and a public health necessity].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether primary care provides a suitable framework for integrated treatment aimed at smoking cessation with systematic minimal intervention or pharmacological treatment with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). To compare the results with those obtained in a specialized pneumology unit.


METHODS
Prospective, quasi-experimental study.


METHODS
Primary and specialized care services.


METHODS
357 smokers who were followed at a health center (166) or a specialized clinic (191) during a 6-month period.


METHODS
Two types of intervention were used depending on the patients' degree of nicotine dependence: systematic minimal intervention for those with low dependence or who were still in the contemplation or precontemplation phase, and NRT for those with high dependence, in the preparation phase.


METHODS
Twelve months after the start of the study, abstinence among participants who received systematic minimal intervention was 36.5% in primary care patients and 41.8% in specialized care patients (P>.05). Among participants who received NRT abstinence was 37.1% in the former group and 35.5% in the latter (P>.05). The percentage of patients lost to follow-up was 8.6% in specialized care and 6.3% in primary care.


CONCLUSIONS
The results lead us to recommend smoking cessation treatment integrated in the primary care setting, either with systematic minimal intervention or NRT.
Torrecilla García
M
M
Centro de Salud San Juan. Salamanca. Spain. mtorrecillag@papps.org
Barrueco
M
M
Maderuelo
J A
JA
Jiménez Ruiz
C
C
Plaza Martín
M D
MD
Hernández Mezquita
M A
MA
D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011634:Public Health; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome