Health
Smoking cessation success reported
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 10, 2004
Training nurses and medical assistants who register patients at primary care facilities to use specific, guideline-based methods to encourage smoking cessation increases the likelihood that patients will successfully quit, according to a study published in the April 21 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers tested the effectiveness of guidelines developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in a randomized, controlled trial among 2,163 adult smokers at eight primary care clinics in southern Wisconsin. At the test sites, patients' smoking status was assessed and free nicotine patches and telephone counseling were offered. Patients at the control sites received only general information about the AHRQ guideline.
Follow-up interviews found that test site patients were more successful in quitting than control site patients.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/10/hlbf0510.htm.
