title: How the Most Trusted Venues for Health-Related Information Influence Physician Referrals to Smoking Cessation Services.
abstract: Public health programs seek to educate physicians by using a variety of venues. Therefore, it is important to understand which health information sources physicians are using and how these sources affect referrals. We explored how venues for health-related information affect physicians' referral practices to smoking cessation services. The 2008 DocStyles survey asked physicians to rank a list of their most trusted sources of health-related information. The analysis was restricted to 1,617 physicians who responded to all variables of interest. In this sample, the most trusted sources of health-related information cited by physicians were medical journals (95.9%), government health agencies (82.2%), other physicians (76.4%), professional medical societies (75.2%), and medical Web sites or podcasts (65.9%). Medical providers were more likely to refer tobacco users to cessation services if they used professional medical societies as a source to obtain patient health-related information, compared with medical providers not using this source (multivariate odds ratio = 1.31; 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.66). Physicians use many health information sources. Therefore, to reach physicians effectively, a broad dissemination of guidelines and best practices in tobacco control is needed and should include information for medical societies.
authors.affiliation: Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, K-50, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.affiliation: Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, K-50, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trosclair
authors.affiliation: Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, K-50, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA.
authors.forename: Crystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, K-50, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beistle