Smoking cessation advice: Swiss physicians lack training.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the use and appropriateness of medical advice for smoking cessation provided by registrars in a General Medicine Outpatient Department to an unselected patient population in Switzerland.


METHODS
A prospective observational study in which 314 consecutive outpatients were contacted by phone within 24h after their consultation. Questions and information concerning smoking asked and/or provided by the registrar to patients were collected.


RESULTS
Eleven registrars (mean age 34 years (range 29-40), 54% females, mean of 5 years (range 3.5-6 years) postgraduate medical training) worked in the Basel University Hospital Medical Outpatient Department during the study period from 01.01.2006 to 31.03.2006. In total 314 participants (mean 48 years, age range 16-71 years, 50% females) completed the study. Registrars queried 81% of the patients about smoking, but inquired about smoking duration only in 44% of the patients. Twenty-eight percent of the patients received information about the risks related to smoking, whereas cessation was discussed only with 10% and offered to 9% of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Though most junior physicians in the survey asked about smoking, they failed to appropriately address tobacco-related health issues and offer cessation advice in the majority of cases. Extended regular training for physicians on smoking-related issues will be necessary in order to improve counselling of smokers and meet the global tobacco challenge.
von Garnier
Christophe
C
Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Basel University Hospital, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. christophe.vongarnier@insel.ch
Kochuparackal
Sascha
S
Miedinger
David
D
Leuppi
Jörg D
JD
Tamm
Michael
M
Battegay
Edouard
E
Zeller
Andreas
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010819:Physician's Role; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland