Smoking cessation counseling by emergency physicians: opinions, knowledge, and training needs.

OBJECTIVES

To determine: 1) the extent of emergency physicians' (EPs') training in smoking cessation counseling; 2) their understanding of counseling and pharmacologic treatment techniques; 3) their current practices in screening, counseling, and referring patients who smoke; and 4) perceived barriers to routine smoking cessation counseling in emergency medical practice.

METHODS

A 26-item questionnaire addressing the above issues was mailed to all 256 members of the Colorado Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

RESULTS

Completed questionnaires were returned by 196 physicians (77% response rate). The majority of respondents were men (80%), practiced in urban settings (87%), and were board-certified in emergency medicine (82%). Most EPs lacked formal smoking cessation training (55%) and felt poorly prepared to counsel patients about smoking cessation (65%). A minority (27%) of the physicians reported routinely asking patients to quit smoking. The physicians with formal smoking cessation training were more likely to counsel and refer patients routinely (34% vs 20%, p = 0.03). The physicians cited the following barriers to routine smoking cessation counseling: a lack of time; a perception that patients are not interested; a belief that the ED setting is inappropriate for counseling; and a sense that counseling is ineffective. Lack of reimbursement was cited by only 13% of the respondents. The physicians who had formal smoking cessation training perceived fewer barriers to ED-based counseling.

CONCLUSIONS

Emergency physicians have received little training in smoking cessation and perceive many barriers to ED-based smoking cessation interventions. Not surprisingly, they infrequently take action to encourage or assist their patients to quit smoking.