Use of Smoking Cessation Interventions by Physicians in Argentina.
BACKGROUND
Physician-implemented interventions for smoking cessation are effective but infrequently used. We evaluated smoking cessation practices among physicians in Argentina.


METHODS
A self-administered survey of physicians from six clinical systems asked about smoking cessation counselling practices, barriers to tobacco use counselling and perceived quality of training received in smoking cessation practices.


RESULTS
Of 254 physicians, 52.3% were women, 11.8% were current smokers and 52% never smoked. Perceived quality of training in tobacco cessation counselling was rated as very good or good by 41.8% and as poor/very poor by 58.2%. Most physicians (90%) reported asking and recording smoking status, 89% advised patients to quit smoking but only 37% asked them to set a quit date and 44% prescribed medications. Multivariate analyses showed that Physicians' perceived quality of their training in smoking cessation methods was associated with greater use of evidence-based cessation interventions. (OR = 6.5; 95% CI = 2.2-19.1); motivating patients to quit (OR: 7.9 CI 3.44-18.5), assisting patients to quit (OR = 9.9; 95% CI = 4.0-24.2) prescribing medications (OR = 9.6; 95% CI = 3.5-26.7), and setting up follow-up (OR = 13.0; 95% CI = 4.4-38.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Perceived quality of training in smoking cessation was associated with using evidence-based interventions and among physicians from Argentina. Medical training programs should enhance the quality of this curriculum.
Fundacion Interamericana del Corazon Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Veronica
V
Schoj
Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Raul
R
Mejia
Fundacion Interamericana del Corazon Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mariela
M
Alderete
Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco.
Celia P
CP
Kaplan
Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Lorena
L
Peña
Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco.
Steven E
SE
Gregorich
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Argentina.
Ethel
E
Alderete
Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco.
Eliseo J
EJ
Pérez-Stable