INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Urologists play an important role in the treatment of tobacco related diseases such as kidney and bladder cancer.
Despite this role, urologists receive little training in promoting tobacco cessation. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate a brief smoking cessation intervention offered by an urologist in an outpatient clinic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult smokers from a single institution urology clinic were enrolled in either a prospective brief intervention trial or usual care (control) between 2009-2011. All patients were assessed by the validated Fagerström test for nicotine dependence and readiness to quit questionnaire. Trial patients received a 5-minute brief smoking cessation intervention (BSCI). Primary outcome was abstinence at 1 year, secondary outcomes was number of quit attempts. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with quit rate and quit attempts.
RESULTS: A total of 179 patients were enrolled in the study (100 BSCI, 41 BSCI+nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), 38 usual care controls); 81.0% were =40 years, with a 11.26±7.23 pack year smoking history. Mean readiness to quit and tobacco dependence score similar between both arms (p=0.25 and p=0.92 respectively). The 1-year quit rate for BSCI was 12.1% vs. 2.6% in the usual care group (odds ratio [OR]=4.44, p=0.163) Adding NRT increased the quit rate to 19.5% (vs. usual care, OR=9.91, p=0.039). Patients receiving the BSCI were significantly more likely to attempt to quit (OR=2.31, p=0.038). Increased readiness scores were associated with increased quit rates and quit attempts.
CONCLUSIONS: Urologists can successfully implement a brief smoking cessation intervention program. Our study highlights the role of the urologist in providing smoking cessation assistance and the significant impact brief simple advice about quitting smoking has on smoker's quit rate.
Written by:
Bjurlin MA, Cohn MR, Kim DY, Freeman VL, Lombardo L, Hurley SD, Hollowell CM. Are you the author?
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Cook County Hospital, Cook County Health and Hospitals System, 1900 W. Polk Street, Suite 465, Chicago, IL 60612.
Reference: J Urol. 2012 Nov 15. pii: S0022-5347(12)05569-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.11.075
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23159586
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