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Smokers’ Interest in Quitting and Services Received: Using Practice Information to Plan Quality Improvement and Policy for Smoking Cessation

Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (VAHSR&D) Center of Excellence for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, California, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, ssherman{at}ucla.edu, scott.sherman{at}med.va.gov

Elizabeth M. Yano, PhD

Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (VAHSR&D) Center of Excellence for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, California, Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles

Andy B. Lanto, MA

Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (VAHSR&D) Center of Excellence for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, California

Barbara F. Simon, MA

Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (VAHSR&D) Center of Excellence for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, California

Lisa V. Rubenstein, MD, MSPH

Veterans Health Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (VAHSR&D) Center of Excellence for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, California, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles and RAND, Santa Monica, California

Given the prevalence of smoking, its impact, and the benefits of cessation, helping smokers quit should be a top priority for health care organizations. To restructure health care delivery and guide future policy, the authors used baseline survey data from an 18-site Veterans Health Administration group randomized trial to assess the level of interest in quitting smoking for a practice population and determine what smoking cessation services they reported receiving. Among 1941 current smokers, 55% did not intend to quit in the next 6 months, and the remainder intended to quit in the next month (13%) to 6 months (32%). Forty-five percent reported a quit attempt in the prior year. While nearly two thirds of smokers reported being counseled about cessation within the past year, only 29% were referred to a cessation program, and 25% received a prescription for nicotine patches. Tobacco control efforts within this population should focus on increasing the rate of assisting patients with quitting.

Key Words: smoking cessation • counseling • primary care • cross-sectional analysis

American Journal of Medical Quality, Vol. 20, No. 1, 33-39 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1062860604273776


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