title: Randomized controlled trial of a computer-based, tailored intervention to increase smoking cessation counseling by primary care physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary care visit represents an important venue for intervening with a large population of smokers. However, physician adherence to the Smoking Cessation Clinical Guideline (5As) remains low. We evaluated the effectiveness of a computer-tailored intervention designed to increase smoking cessation counseling by primary care physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physicians and their patients were randomized to either intervention or control conditions. In addition to brief smoking cessation training, intervention physicians and patients received a one-page report that characterized the patients' smoking habit and history and offered tailored recommendations. Physician performance of the 5As was assessed via patient exit interviews. Quit rates and smoking behaviors were assessed 6 months postintervention via patient phone interviews. Intervention effects were tested in a sample of 70 physicians and 518 of their patients. Results were analyzed via generalized and mixed linear modeling controlling for clustering.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention physicians exceeded controls on "Assess" (OR 5.06; 95% CI 3.22, 7.95), "Advise" (OR 2.79; 95% CI 1.70, 4.59), "Assist-set goals" (OR 4.31; 95% CI 2.59, 7.16), "Assist-provide written materials" (OR 5.14; 95% CI 2.60, 10.14), "Assist-provide referral" (OR 6.48; 95% CI 3.11, 13.49), "Assist-discuss medication" (OR 4.72;95% CI 2.90, 7.68), and "Arrange" (OR 8.14; 95% CI 3.98, 16.68), all p values being < 0.0001. Intervention patients were 1.77 (CI 0.94, 3.34,p = 0.078) times more likely than controls to be abstinent (12 versus 8%), a difference that approached, but did not reach statistical significance, and surpassed controls on number of days quit (18.4 versus 12.2, p < .05) but not on number of quit attempts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a brief computer-tailored report improved physicians' implementation of the 5As and had a modest effect on patients' smoking behaviors 6 months postintervention.
authors: Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. unrodm@moffitt.usf.edu
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Unrod
authors: Meredith
authors: M
authors: Smith
authors: Bonnie
authors: B
authors: Spring
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: DePue
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Redd
authors: Gary
authors: G
authors: Winkel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010819:Physician's Role; D010821:Physicians, Family; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods