[Evaluation of brief intervention for smoking cessation in hospitalized patients].
OBJECTIVE
Since World Health Organization (WHO) recommends brief interventions for smoking cessation to be included systematically in daily practise as a part of clinical work, the main aim of this study is to know if this intervention is done by health professionals working in hospital wards in a general hospital in Barcelona. Secondly, to assess prevalence rates for smoking among patients of a general hospital in Barcelona/Spain.


METHODS
Brief intervention was assessed asking inpatients at discharge and revising discharge reports.


RESULTS
18.8% of patients were current smokers. Although a majority of discharge reports (72.9%) included patient's smoking status, less than a third of the patients (30.8%) remember having been asked during their stay in hospital. Advice, assistance to help quitting or an arrangement for follow up was exceptional.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking continues not being a priority in hospital setting. Results give some evidence for the need for raising awareness, inform and train health professionals working in hospitals in brief interventions for smoking cessation.
Nieva
Gemma
G
Unidad de Alcohología, Corporación Sanitaria Clínic, Barcelona, Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España.
Gual
Antoni
A
Mondon
Silvia
S
Walther
Marc
M
Saltó
Esteve
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011364:Professional Practice; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires