Author Affiliations
To the Editor
Introduction
Addressing tobacco dependency in hospital settings is a critical preventive measure for patients who smoke. Hospital admission offers a unique ‘teachable moment,’ enhancing patients’ willingness to receive treatment for tobacco dependency.
Aims and Objectives
This survey aimed to evaluate healthcare providers’ practices and attitudes regarding smoking cessation interventions for hospitalized patients. Objectives included assessing the frequency of smoking status documentation, providing cessation advice, offering Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), making referrals to smoking cessation teams, and identifying barriers to referring patients to cessation services.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 62 healthcare providers, including Foundation Doctors, Senior House Officers, Registrars, and Consultants. Data were collected on smoking cessation practices and perceived barriers to implementation.
Results
| Smoking Status | Percentage |
| Most of the time | 64.5% |
| Often | 17.7% |
| Less frequently | 16.1% |
| Never | 1.6% |
| Provision of Cessation Advice | Percentage |
| Most of the time | 27.4% |
| Often | 17.7% |
| Less frequently | 38.7% |
| Never | 16.1% |
| Offering NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) | Percentage |
| Most of the time | 11.3% |
| Often | 11.3% |
| Less frequently | 40.3% |
| Never | 37.1% |
| Referral to Cessation Teams | Percentage |
| Most of the time | 6.5% |
| Often | 6.5% |
| Less frequently | 27.4% |
| Never | 59.7% |
Table 1: Smoking cessation practices among respondents
Tobacco Dependency in Diagnostic Lists
The majority (79%) of healthcare providers are in favor of including it in diagnostic lists and management plans, while 22.6% are not.
Discussion
These findings are concerning. Despite NHS funding to address tobacco dependency in the UK, current attitudes towards smoking cessation interventions for hospitalized patients remain inadequate. This highlights significant opportunities to enhance patient outcomes through improved smoking cessation support. Key barriers include insufficient knowledge of referrals (62.9%), unawareness of the necessity of referrals (29.0%), unawareness of smoking cessation teams (41.9%), and time constraints (33.9%). Incorporating mandatory smoking management training into the induction requirements for all healthcare professionals is essential to improve these practices. Effective inpatient management of tobacco dependency, as outlined by Agrawal et al. (2024), involves integrating smoking cessation programs within hospital settings and providing consistent support throughout hospitalization [1]. This approach can enhance patient recovery, reduce complications, shorten hospital stays, and lower readmission rates, ultimately benefiting both patient health outcomes and hospital operations.
References
- Agrawal S, Evison M, Ananth S, et al. Medical management of inpatients with tobacco dependency. Thorax. 2024;79(Suppl 1):3-11. doi:10.1136/thorax-2023-220607 PubMed | Crossref | Google Scholar
- Farver-Vestergaard I, Hjorth P, Pisinger C, et al. A survey exploring the practices of smoking cessation support among hospital-based healthcare providers. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23(1):645. doi:10.1186/s12913-023-09657-4
PubMed | Crossref | Google Scholar
Acknowledgments
Not reported
Funding
Not reported
Author Information
Chaw Lwin Hsu
Department of Medicine
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Stevenage, United Kingdom
Email: chawlwin.hsu@nhs.net
Author Contribution
The author contributed to the conceptualization, investigation, and data curation by acquiring and critically reviewing the selected articles and was involved in the writing – original draft preparation and writing – review & editing to refine the manuscript.
Ethical Approval
Not applicable
DOI
Cite this Article
Lwin Hsu C. Challenges and Practices in Smoking Cessation: A Survey of Hospital Healthcare Providers. medtigo J Med. 2024;2(3):e3062254. doi:10.63096/medtigo3062254 Crossref
