Publication Date:
April 2005
Publisher:
Published In:
- Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 7(S1), pp.S29-S34
The Association Between Patient-Reported Receipt of Tobacco Intervention at a Primary Care Visit and Smokers' Satisfaction with Their Health Care
Some health care providers are concerned that they will alienate their patients if they discuss tobacco use and cessation with them. This study analyzed data from a survey sent to 1,985 smokers seen by a primary-care physician between January 1 and March 31, 2003. The survey asked about their satisfaction with their care and with the provider's discussion of tobacco use and cessation treatment. Of those sent surveys, 765 responded and self-identified as smokers. They reported high levels of satisfaction with their overall care and with tobacco-related care. Patients whose physicians counseled them about smoking (using a five-step protocol: ask about tobacco use, advise to quit, assess interest in quitting, assist with treatment, and arrange for follow-up) were more satisfied with their care than patients whose physicians did not provide counseling. This association held true even when patients were not interested in quitting. As the number of counseling behaviors increased, satisfaction with care increased. The authors conclude that health care providers can counsel smokers without fear of alienating them, regardless of a patient's interest in quitting.