On the primary care frontlines: the role of the general practitioner in smoking-cessation activities and diabetes management.
BACKGROUND
Advances in understanding the relationship between oral disease and systemic conditions need to be translated into clinical practice. Relevant here is assessing dentists' active involvement in in-office smoking-cessation activities and management of the patient with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
The authors mailed a survey to a net sample of 132 active general practitioners (GPs) in the northeastern United States during fall 2002. They drew a random sample of GPs listed in the designated states from the 2001 American Dental Association directory. They received 105 responses, for a response rate of 80 percent.


RESULTS
With regard to smoking-cessation activities and management of diabetic patients, a majority of GPs reported having a lack of knowledge, viewed such activities as peripheral to their role and disagreed that colleagues and/or patients expected them to perform such activities. More GPs performed both activities on an assessing/advising basis than on an active management basis.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that approaches to changing dentists' behavior should aim not only at increasing knowledge but at overcoming attitudes and orientations associated with actively managing patients who smoke and patients who have diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
The profession's growing evidence base supports an increased primary and preventive care role for dentists. This role affords them opportunities to expand the bounds of dental practice, improve therapeutic outcomes and promote patients' overall health.
Kunzel
Carol
C
Section of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Columbia University School of Dental and Social Surgery, New York, NY 10032, USA. ck60@columbia.edu
Lalla
Evanthia
E
Albert
David A
DA
Yin
Hong
H
Lamster
Ira B
IB
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009511:New England; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D024382:Professional Role; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires