Proaktive Interventionen zur Förderung der Tabakabstinenz in der hausärztlichen Praxis

Aim

This study examines characteristics of target groups that can be reached by proactive smoking interventions in general practices.

Methods

A total of 9,896 consecutive patients from 34 general practices in West Pomerania were registered in this study. The participation in an intervention study including smoking cessation counselling was offered to all smoking patients aged 18–70 years (n=2,016).

Results

Compared to the general population, smokers in the general practice are younger. Among the eligible patients, 82% (n=1,653) gave consent to participate in the intervention study. A total of 65% of the participants did not intend to quit smoking. Patients refusing participation were older, less ready to quit smoking and consumed less tobacco.

Conclusions

Proactive smoking interventions are highly accepted by general practice patients.     

Effect of training program regarding smoking cessation counseling for primary health care physicians in Port Said City,Egypt

Background

Smoking is a major risk factor for death-related diseases. Not all healthcare professionals are following evidence-based guidelines for smoking cessation counseling in primary care settings. The WHO, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and United States Public Health Service (USPHS) guidelines recommend that all healthcare professionals, including students in healthcare training programs, receive education in the management of tobacco use and dependence.

Objective

To evaluate the effect of training programs for primary healthcare physicians on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of smoking cessation counseling.

Methods

This was a pre-post intervention study. The study included 74 primary care physicians working in primary healthcare centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Suez Canal University Hospitals in Port Said City. The study was conducted between June 2015 and March 2016 using a structured questionnaire and observation checklist to assess counseling of patients willing to quit smoking.

Results

There were highly statistically significant improvements in the physicians’ median scores of knowledge (30%–80%), attitude (65% -100%), and practice (20%–70%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention. The most frequent correct knowledge was consequences of smoking (73%–87.3%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention. The most favorable attitude was the importance of smoking cessation (70.3%–100%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention. The best observed correct practice was asking about smoking (70.3%–100%) (p?<?0.001) pre-post intervention.

Conclusion

Knowledge, attitude, and practice skills regarding smoking cessation counseling among primary healthcare physicians were markedly improved after implementation of the education program.

     

Physicians discuss the risks of smoking with their patients,but seldom offer practical cessation support

Background

Our aim was to study the smoking cessation-related 1) attitudes & experiences and 2) consultation practices of Finnish physicians and to determine if there is a relationship between the two.

Methods

An online survey on smoking cessation was sent to 39 % of all Finnish physicians, with emphasis on physicians working in fields relevant to smoking cessation. A total of 1141 physicians (response rate 15 %) responded to the online survey, 53 % of whom were employed in primary health care. A total of 1066 respondents were eligible for the analysis. The questionnaire included questions on the physician’s own smoking status, their attitudes and experiences on smoking cessation, and the implementation of smoking cessation in clinical practice. Two sub-scales concerning smoking-related consultation activities were constructed: one for conversation, and another for practical actions.

Results

The most common consultation activities (respondents who reported doing the following actions “nearly always”) were asking how much the patient smokes (65 %), marking smoking status in patient records (58 %) and recommending quitting to the patient (55 %). The least common activity was prescribing withdrawal medication (4 %). Primary care physicians were more active than those working in secondary health care in nearly all activities mapped. A positive attitude and experiences on smoking cessation were associated with actively offering withdrawal support. Those who were familiar with the local treatment guidelines for tobacco addiction were 30 % more active in offering practical cessation help to their patient. The respondents were more active in discussing smoking with their patients than in offering practical cessation help.

Conclusion

Physicians offer their patients practical cessation support relatively infrequently. Practical cessation calls for continuous education of physicians about the nature of tobacco and nicotine addiction, the role of smoking as a risk factor for various diseases, and the practical measures needed for smoking cessation. Secondary care physicians should acknowledge the authority they pose toward smoking patients.

     

Avian Influenza: a global threat needing a global solution

Aim

To investigate whether participation in a clinical audit and education session would improve GP management of patients who smoke.

Methods

GPs who participated in an associated smoking cessation research program were invited to complete a three-stage clinical audit. This process included a retrospective self-audit of smoking cessation management practices over the 6 months prior to commencing the study, attending a 2.5 hour education session about GP management of smoking cessation, and completion of a second retrospective self-audit 6 months later. Twenty-eight GPs completed the full audit and education process, providing information about their smoking cessation management with 1114 patients. The main outcome measure was changes in GP management of smoking cessation with patients across the audit period, as measured by the clinical audit tool.

Results

The majority of GPs (57%) indicated that as a result of the audit process they had altered their approach to the management of patients who smoke. Quantitative analyses confirmed significant increases in various forms of evidence-based smoking cessation management practices to assist patients to quit, or maintain quitting across the audit period. However comparative analyses of patient data challenged these findings, suggesting that the clinical audit process had less impact on GP practice than suggested in GP's self-reported audit data.

Conclusion

This study provides some support for the combined use of self-auditing, feedback and education to improve GP management of smoking cessation. However further research is warranted to examine GP- and patient-based reports of outcomes from clinical audit and other educational interventions.     

Can economic evaluation in telemedicine be trusted? A systematic review of the literature

Background

Chronic diseases, represented mainly by cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, are increasing in developing countries and account for 53% of chronic diseases in Argentina. There is strong evidence that a reduction of 50% of the deaths due to CVD can be attributed to a reduction in smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Generalized cost-effectiveness analysis (GCE) is a methodology designed by WHO to inform decision makers about the extent to which current or new interventions represent an efficient use of resources. We aimed to use GCE analysis to identify the most efficient interventions to decrease CVD.

Methods

Six individual interventions (treatment of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking cessation and combined clinical strategies to reduce the 10 year CVD Risk) and two population-based interventions (cooperation between government, consumer associations and bakery chambers to reduce salt in bread, and mass education strategies to reduce hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and obesity) were selected for analysis. Estimates of effectiveness were entered into age and sex specific models to predict their impact in terms of age-weighted and discounted DALYs saved (disability-adjusted life years). To translate the age- and sex-adjusted incidence of CVD events into health changes, we used risk model software developed by WHO (PopMod). Costs of services were measured in Argentine pesos, and discounted at an annual rate of 3%. Different budgetary impact scenarios were explored.

Results

The average cost-effectiveness ratio in argentine pesos (ARS$) per DALY for the different interventions were: (i) less salt in bread $151; (ii) mass media campaign $547; (iii) combination drug therapy provided to subjects with a 20%, 10% and 5% global CVD risk, $3,599, $4,113 and $4,533, respectively; (iv) high blood pressure (HBP) lowering therapy $7,716; (v) tobacco cessation with bupropion $ 33,563; and (iv) high-cholesterol lowering therapy with statins $ 70,994.

Conclusion

Against a threshold of average per capita income in Argentina, the two selected population-based interventions (lowering salt intake and health education through mass-media campaigns) plus the modified polypill strategy targeting people with a 20% or greater risk were cost-effective. Use of this methodology in developing countries can make resource-allocation decisions less intuitive and more driven by evidence.     

Psychometrische Evaluation des Messinstruments „SmoCess-GP“

Background

There is a lack of a valid instrument for describing the extent of smoking cessation activities by general practitioners (GPs) from the patients’ perspective. Therefore, a short instrument was developed in the context of the CoSmoS study. The aim of the present study was the psychometric evaluation of the “SmoCess-GP” instrument for smokers.

Methods

127 smoking participants of CoSmoS were included in the analyses. Psychometric evaluation was conducted with exploratory factor and reliability analysis. The construct validity was tested with bivariate correlations.

Results

The resulting one-dimensional structure of the “SmoCess-GP” measure can explain 64.6% of the overall variance. Cronbach’s alpha was .68. With regard to construct validity, a hypothesis-consistent relationship with nicotine dependence was determined (r=.266, p<.01).

Conclusions

The measure seems to be a useful tool for analysing the extent of GPs’ secondary preventive care of smokers. Furthermore, the instrument may provide a checklist for practitioners to guide them through smoking cessation counselling.     

Evidence-informed decision-making by professionals working in addiction agencies serving women: a descriptive qualitative study

Background

There is substantial evidence to support the association between tuberculosis (TB) and tobacco smoking and that the smoking-related immunological abnormalities in TB are reversible within six weeks of cessation. Therefore, connecting TB and tobacco cessation interventions may produce significant benefits and positively impact TB treatment outcomes. However, no study has extensively documented the evidence of benefits of such integration. SCIDOTS Project is a study from the context of a developing nation aimed to determine this.

Methods

An integrated TB-tobacco intervention was provided by trained TB directly observed therapy short-course (DOTS) providers at five chest clinics in Malaysia. The study was a prospective non-randomized controlled intervention using quasi-experimental design. Using Transtheoretical Model approach, 120 eligible participants who were current smokers at the time of TB diagnosis were assigned to either of two treatment groups: conventional TB DOTS plus smoking cessation intervention (integrated intervention or SCIDOTS group) or conventional TB DOTS alone (comparison or DOTS group). At baseline, newly diagnosed TB patients considering quitting smoking within the next 30 days were placed in the integrated intervention group, while those who were contemplating quitting were assigned to the comparison group. Eleven sessions of individualized cognitive behavioral therapy with or without nicotine replacement therapy were provided to each participant in the integrated intervention group. The impacts of the novel approach on biochemically validated smoking cessation and TB treatment outcomes were measured periodically as appropriate.

Results

A linear effect on both 7-day point prevalence abstinence and continuous abstinence was observed over time in the intervention group. At the end of 6 months, patients who received the integrated intervention had significantly higher rate of success in quitting smoking when compared with those who received the conventional TB treatment alone (77.5% vs. 8.7%; p < 0.001). Furthermore, at the end of TB treatment (6 months or later), there were significantly higher rates of treatment default (15.2% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.019) and treatment failure (6.5% vs. 0%; p = 0.019) in the DOTS group than in the SCIDOTS group.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that connecting TB-tobacco treatment strategy is significant among TB patients who are smokers. The findings suggest that the integrated approach may be beneficial and confer advantages on short-term outcomes and possibly on future lung health of TB patients who quit smoking. This study may have important implications on health policy and clinical practice related to TB management among tobacco users.     

Using economic analyses for local priority setting

Introduction

Standard methods of economic analysis may not be suitable for local decision making that is specific to a particular population.

Background

We describe a new three-step methodology, termed ‘population cost-impact analysis’, which provides a population perspective to the costs and benefits of alternative interventions. The first two steps involve calculating the population impact and the costs of the proposed interventions relevant to local conditions. This involves the calculation of population impact measures (which have been previously described but are not currently used extensively) — measures of absolute risk and risk reduction, applied to a population denominator. In step three, preferences of policy-makers are obtained. This is in contrast to the QALY approach in which quality weights are obtained as a part of the measurement of benefit.

Methods

We applied the population cost-impact analysis method to a comparison of two interventions — increasing the use of β-adrenoceptor antagonists (β-blockers) and smoking cessation — after myocardial infarction in a scaled-back notional local population of 100 000 people in England. Twenty-two public health professionals were asked via a questionnaire to rank the order in which they would implement four interventions. They were given information on both population cost impact and QALYs for each intervention.

Results

In a population of 100 000 people, moving from current to best practice for β-adrenoceptor antagonists and smoking cessation will prevent 11 and 4 deaths (or gain of 127 or 42 life-years), respectively. The cost per event prevented in the next year, or life-year gained, is less for β-adrenoceptor antagonists than for smoking cessation. Public health professionals were found to be more inclined to rank alternative interventions according to the population cost impact than the QALY approach.

Discussion

The use of the population cost-impact approach allows information on the benefits of moving from current to best practice to be presented in terms of the benefits and costs to a particular population. The process for deciding between alternative interventions in a prioritisation exercise may differ according to the local context. We suggest that the valuation of the benefit is performed after the benefits have been quantified and that it takes into account local issues relevant to prioritisation. It would be an appropriate next step to experiment with, and formalise, this part of the population cost-impact analysis to provide a standardised approach for determining willingness to pay and provide a ranking of priorities.

Conclusion

Our method adds a new dimension to economic analysis, the ability to identify costs and benefits of potential interventions to a defined population, which may be of considerable use for policy makers working at the local level.     

Kurzintervention zum Rauchverzicht bei jungen Frauen in gynäkologischen Praxen

Background

Gynecological practices offer good access to young female smokers. Immediate health risks of smoking while using hormonal contraceptives are a promising approach to be used in interventions to increase motivation towards smoking cessation.

Methods

A randomized controlled study with 12-month follow-up, testing the efficacy of a smoking cessation intervention for a proactively recruited sample of female smokers aged 14–25 in gynecological practices, is outlined.

Results

Selected results regarding the feasibility of the intervention are presented. Participation rates were 94.7% for gynecological practices; 98.3% of patients in the age group could be screened. The participation rate of young female smokers was 83.9%. Of these, 93% have so far completed follow-up.

Conclusions

The extraordinarily high participation rates show the feasibility of such an intervention to increase motivation towards smoking cessation for young female smokers in gynecological practices.     

Is the value of a life or life-year saved context specific? Further evidence from a discrete choice experiment

Background

To support health policy makers in setting priorities, quantifying the potential effects of tobacco control on the burden of disease is useful. However, smoking is related to a variety of diseases and the dynamic effects of smoking cessation on the incidence of these diseases differ. Furthermore, many people who quit smoking relapse, most of them within a relatively short period.

Methods

In this paper, a method is presented for calculating the effects of smoking cessation interventions on disease incidence that allows to deal with relapse and the effect of time since quitting. A simulation model is described that links smoking to the incidence of 14 smoking related diseases. To demonstrate the model, health effects are estimated of two interventions in which part of current smokers in the Netherlands quits smoking. To illustrate the advantages of the model its results are compared with those of two simpler versions of the model. In one version we assumed no relapse after quitting and equal incidence rates for all former smokers. In the second version, incidence rates depend on time since cessation, but we assumed still no relapse after quitting.

Results

Not taking into account time since smoking cessation on disease incidence rates results in biased estimates of the effects of interventions. The immediate public health effects are overestimated, since the health risk of quitters immediately drops to the mean level of all former smokers. However, the long-term public health effects are underestimated since after longer periods of time the effects of past smoking disappear and so surviving quitters start to resemble never smokers. On balance, total health gains of smoking cessation are underestimated if one does not account for the effect of time since cessation on disease incidence rates. Not taking into account relapse of quitters overestimates health gains substantially.

Conclusion

The results show that simulation models are sensitive to assumptions made in specifying the model. The model should be specified carefully in accordance with the questions it is supposed to answer. If the aim of the model is to estimate effects of smoking cessation interventions on mortality and morbidity, one should include relapse of quitters and dependency on time since cessation of incidence rates of smoking-related chronic diseases. A drawback of such models is that data requirements are extensive.     

Prozessevaluation einer Intervention zur kooperativen Raucherentwöhnung

Background

The study “ENTER: Evaluation of a collaborative smoking cessation intervention” is a cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention implemented in the German primary care setting in collaboration with AOK NORDWEST in Westphalia-Lippe and Schleswig-Holstein.

Objectives

A process evaluation was performed with the aim of investigating barriers and facilitators to intervention implementation and giving recommendations for future interventions.

Materials and methods

Between November 2015 and January 2016 semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with AOK employees and general practitioners of the intervention group. Interviews focused on contextual factors (e.?g. responsibilities for implementing the intervention), the communication between network partners and the process of referring patients to smoking cessation courses.

Results

Overall, 21 interviews were completed (8 AOK employees, 13 general practitioners). Intervention implementation was facilitated because physicians perceived smoking cessation counseling to be important and were supported by their office staff. Challenges were seen in patients’ motivation for participation in smoking cessation courses and meeting the minimum number of course participants.

Conclusions

Successful intervention implementation would be facilitated by motivating patients to participate in smoking cessation courses and informing them about the effectiveness of the courses. Patient’s preferences for different smoking cessation aids should be investigated in order to increase the use of effective aids.

     

The cost of antiretroviral therapy in Haiti

Background

Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration, but studies of ex-smokers suggest quitting can reduce the risk.

Methods

We fitted a function predicting the decline in risk of macular degeneration after quitting to data from 7 studies involving 1,488 patients. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation in terms of its impact on macular degeneration-related outcomes for 1,000 randomly selected U.S. smokers. We used a computer simulation model to predict the incidence of macular degeneration and blindness, the number of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and direct costs (in 2004 U.S. dollars) until age 85 years. Cost-effectiveness ratios were based on the cost of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program. Costs and QALYs were discounted at 3% per year.

Results

If 1,000 smokers quit, our model predicted 48 fewer cases of macular degeneration, 12 fewer cases of blindness, and a gain of 1,600 QALYs. Macular degeneration-related costs would decrease by $2.5 million if the costs of caregivers for people with vision loss were included, or by $1.1 million if caregiver costs were excluded. At a cost of $1,400 per quitter, smoking cessation was cost-saving when caregiver costs were included, and cost about $200 per QALY gained when caregiver costs were excluded. Sensitivity analyses had a negligible impact. The cost per quitter would have to exceed $77,000 for the cost per QALY for smoking cessation to reach $50,000, a threshold above which interventions are sometimes viewed as not cost-effective.

Conclusion

Smoking cessation is unequivocally cost-effective in terms of its impact on age-related macular degeneration outcomes alone.     

Smoking behaviour,knowledge and attitudes among Family Medicine physicians and nurses in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background

Smoking rates among the general population in Bosnia and Herzegovina are extremely high, and national campaigns to lower smoking rates have not yet begun. As part of future activities of the Queen's University Family Medicine Development Program in the Balkans Region, technical assistance may be provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina to develop of national tobacco control strategies. This assistance may focus on training doctors and nurses on smoking cessation strategies with a view to helping their patients to stop smoking. Given this important role that health professionals have, data is needed on smoking rates as well as on smoking behaviour among doctors and nurses in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This study therefore seeks to determine the smoking rates and behaviour of family medicine physicians and nurses in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to determine how well prepared they feel with respect to counselling their patients on smoking cessation strategies.

Methods

The WHO Global Health Professional Survey, a self-administered questionnaire, was distributed to physicians and nurses in 19 Family Medicine Teaching Centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2002. Smoking rates and behaviour, as well as information on knowledge and attitudes regarding smoking were determined for both physicians and nurses.

Results

Of the 273 physicians and nurses currently working in Family Medicine Teaching Centres, 209 (77%) completed the questionnaire. Approximately 45% of those surveyed currently smoke, where 51% of nurses smoked, compared to 40% of physicians. With respect to knowledge and attitudes, all respondents agreed that smoking is harmful to one's health. However, "ever" smokers, compared to "never" smokers, were less likely to agree that health professionals who smoke were less likely to advise patients to quit smoking than non-smoking health professionals. Less than half of physicians and nurses had received formal training in smoking cessations strategies, but about two thirds of health professionals felt very or somewhat prepared to counsel their patients on how to quit smoking.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that almost half of Family Medicine health professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina are smokers. This indicates a severe public health problem throughout the country. Steps need to be taken at a national level to address the fight against tobacco.

     

Tobacco use prevalence, knowledge and attitudes, and tobacco cessation training among medical students: results of a pilot study of Global Health Professions Students Survey (GHPSS) in Italy

Aim

The aims of this study were to examine tobacco use prevalence, knowledge and attitudes, and tobacco cessation training among students attending Italian medical schools using the Global Health Professions Student Survey approach and to identify possible factors associated with smoking status.

Subjects and Methods

A multicentre cross-sectional pilot study was carried out in five Italian Schools of Medicine from March to April 2009. Questionnaires were administered in anonymous, voluntary and self-administered form to third year students attending medical schools. The outcome measure was ??being a current smoker??. A logistic regression was used to evaluate possible factors associated with smoking status.

Results

The prevalence of current smokers was 31.4%. More than half considered health professionals as models for patients, and around 90% thought health professionals have a role in giving advice or information about smoking cessation. Only 5.8% of responders had received smoking cessation training during medical school. Medical students who considered healthcare professionals as behavioural models had lower likelihood of smoking (OR?=?0.52).

Conclusions

Given the high prevalence of smokers among medical students and the poorness of smoking cessation programmes, it is important to create tobacco control training programmes addressed to healthcare students.     

Nichtmedikament?se Sekund?rpr?vention der koronaren Herzkrankheit

Aim

Both the diagnosis statistics and costs illustrate the health economic relevance of coronary heart diseases. The aim of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological secondary prevention strategies. These include multimodal prevention programmes as well as single component interventions in the form of smoking cessation, psychosocial interventions, physical exercise and diet modification.

Methods

A literature search was conducted by the German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI) in 36 electronic databases. Two independent reviewers assessed the identified studies for their relevance and quality using standardized criteria.

Results

A total of 3,789 references were identified, of which 19 studies were considered in the assessment.

Conclusions

While the cost-effectiveness of multimodal programmes has often been investigated and confirmed, there is a lack of appropriate studies evaluating single component interventions. Here, further research is needed.     

Ursachen von Übergewicht

Background

Obesity is an increasing problem in Germany. This underlines the importance of preventive activities as part of primary health care. In this study we analysed patients’ beliefs about the causes of obesity, which were identified in behaviour-change counselling interviews with general practitioners.

Methods

Twelve physicians audiotaped check-up dialogues with 52 overweight patients (BMI≥25 kg/m^²). After the interviews were transcribed, a content analysis was performed using the method of Mayring.

Results

Patients attributed their overweight to both behavioural and non-behaviour-related causes during counselling interviews with physicians. Among the behavioural causes, we found different statements of self-responsibility. Patients identified metabolic factors or other predispositions as non-behaviour-related causes.

Conclusions

Patients have complex concepts about their beliefs about overweight; these offer physicians valuable access to patients’ perspectives. In terms of counselling about overweight, physicians should use this knowledge to strengthen their prevention activities.     

Tabakrauchen und problematischer Alkoholkonsum unter Allgemeinkrankenhauspatienten

Objective

To estimate proportions of tobacco smoking and alcohol problem drinking among general hospital inpatients in northeastern Germany.

Method

The sample includes consecutively admitted inpatients (n = 13,878) aged 18–64 years. All persons were screened for smoking and for problem drinking.

Results

In total, 54.0% of all inpatients screened positive for smoking or problem drinking: 19.6% smoking, but no problem drinking (S), 14.9% problem drinking, but no smoking (D) and 19.5% smoking and problem drinking (SD). Proportions differed significantly among men and women, age groups and wards.

Conclusions

Among general hospital inpatients high proportions of S, D and SD were found. The implementation of systematic alcohol screening and brief interventions is recommended.