Stafylidis Stavros, Papadakis Sophia, Papamichail Dimitris, Lionis Christos, Smyrnakis Emmanouil
Laboratory of Primary Health Care, General Practice and Health Services Research, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 710 03 Heraklion, Greece.
Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Dec 11;12(24):2500. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12242500.
Despite the well-documented benefits of smoking cessation interventions, the implementation and success of these programs in primary care settings often encounter significant barriers. A primary care provider's personal smoking status has been identified as a potential barrier to tobacco treatment delivery. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences and perspectives of primary care providers regarding their role in delivering smoking cessation interventions to patients based on their personal smoking status. Specifically, the study seeks to examine providers' thoughts, emotions, and behaviors concerning their own smoking behavior and to understand their attitudes and actions when supporting patients who smoke and to explore their perspectives on the effectiveness of training programs designed to promote tobacco treatment.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 primary care providers from six public primary care units in the Central Macedonia Region, Greece. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data.
Healthcare providers who are current smokers may face unique challenges in effectively counseling patients on smoking cessation. On the contrast, non-smoking and especially previous smoking healthcare providers were noted to exhibit greater confidence and efficacy in delivering cessation support, often serving as role models for patients aiming to quit smoking. Participating in structured cessation training programs often led healthcare professionals to reflect and reevaluate their own smoking behaviors.
Personal smoking status of primary care providers impacts the delivery of tobacco treatment, affecting their credibility and effectiveness in providing cessation support. Educational programs positively impact attitudes and behaviors, underscoring their importance in improving both PCPs' professional effectiveness and personal health outcomes. These findings suggest that addressing PCPs' smoking habits and enhancing training opportunities are critical for optimizing smoking cessation services.
尽管戒烟干预措施的益处有充分记录，但这些项目在初级保健机构中的实施和成效往往遭遇重大障碍。初级保健提供者的个人吸烟状况已被认定为烟草治疗服务提供的一个潜在障碍。这项定性研究的目的是探讨初级保健提供者基于其个人吸烟状况在为患者提供戒烟干预措施中所扮演角色的经历和观点。具体而言，该研究旨在考察提供者关于自身吸烟行为的想法、情绪和行为，了解他们在支持吸烟患者时的态度和行动，并探究他们对旨在促进烟草治疗的培训项目有效性的看法。
对来自希腊中马其顿地区六个公共初级保健单位的22名初级保健提供者进行了半结构化访谈。采用主题分析法对数据进行分析。
目前仍在吸烟的医疗保健提供者在有效地为患者提供戒烟咨询方面可能面临独特的挑战。相比之下，不吸烟尤其是曾经吸烟的医疗保健提供者在提供戒烟支持方面表现出更大的信心和成效，他们常常成为立志戒烟患者的榜样。参与结构化的戒烟培训项目往往促使医疗保健专业人员反思并重新评估自己的吸烟行为。
初级保健提供者的个人吸烟状况会影响烟草治疗服务的提供，影响他们在提供戒烟支持方面的可信度和成效。教育项目对态度和行为有积极影响，凸显了它们在提高初级保健提供者的专业成效和个人健康结果方面的重要性。这些发现表明，解决初级保健提供者的吸烟习惯并增加培训机会对于优化戒烟服务至关重要。
