title: Physician's practices and perspectives regarding tobacco cessation in a teaching hospital in Mysore City, Karnataka.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco is a leading cause of disease and premature death. Most of the smokers visit a doctor for various health related ailments and thus such clinic visits provide many opportunities for interventions and professional tobacco cessation advice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of the following study is to assess the physician practices, perspectives, resources, barriers and education relating to tobacco cessation and their perceived need for training for the same. The secondary aim is to compare the physician's cessation practices from patient's perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive study was conducted in a hospital attached to Medical College in Mysore city, Karnataka.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about doctor's practices, perspectives and their perceived need for training in tobacco cessation were collected using pre-structured self-administered Questionnaire, which were distributed in person. Patient's practices and perspectives were assessed using a pre-structured Oral Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost 95% of physicians said that they ask patients about their smoking status and 94% advise them to quit smoking, but only 50% assist the patient to quit smoking and only 28% arrange follow-up visits. Thus, they do not regularly provide assistance to help patients quit, even though 98% of the physicians believed that helping patients to quit was a part of their role. Only 18% and 35% of the physicians said that Undergraduate Medical Education and Post Graduate Medical Education respectively prepared them very well to participate in smoking cessation activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tobacco cessation requires repeated and regular assistance. Such assistance is not being provided to patients by attending doctors. Our medical education system is failing to impart the necessary skills to doctors, needed to help patients quit smoking. Reforms in education are needed so as to prepare the physician to effectively address this problem.
authors.affiliation: MBBS Student, JSS Medical College (JSS University), Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saud
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, JSS Medical College (JSS University), Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, JSS Medical College (JSS University), Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Srinath
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, JSS Medical College (JSS University), Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Ashok
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, JSS Medical College (JSS University), Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renuka
keywords: Karnataka; Mysore; physician's practices and perspectives; smoking; tobacco; tobacco cessation