An exploration of barriers to client engagement with the smoking cessation service beyond self initiated referral?

Author and presenter:
Brenda Friel
Health Improvement Senior (Tobacco Control), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK

Abstract
An exploration of barriers to client engagement with the smoking cessation service beyond self initiated referral.

Objective: To explore what might encourage or discourage attendance at a NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde smoking cessation appointment beyond self initiated referral. The research was conducted in a particularly deprived area in Glasgow.

Design: Telephone interviews, focus groups were conducted findings from this were then used to conduct a postal survey.

Results: Discouraging factors practical appointment arrangement, readiness to stop smoking, enjoyment of smoking, too reticent and
self conscious to attend, fear of weight gain, previous experiences of stopping smoking and pre-conceived notions of smoking cessation groups. Encouraging factors are if their health worsens because of smoking, if their doctor provides advice to stop because of their health and if the decision to stop smoking is self-generated. Finally the most disadvantaged are just as likely to uptake smoking cessation services.

Conclusions: There are many barriers that prevent uptake of those
who self refer and do not attend their NHSGGC smoking cessation appointment. In order to increase uptake consideration is required
of the factors that encourage or discourage attendance.

Source of funding: This study was a required element of a Masters Degree in Public Health.

Declaration of interest: none

About the presenter
Brenda Friel, Health Improvement Senior, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) has worked within the area of tobacco for seven years.
She has recently taken on a wider tobacco control remit in which she supports the development of tobacco activities across GGC. Brenda is currently taking forward a programme that aims to address smoking in the home by increasing awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke (SHS) and support the delivery and evaluation of SHS brief intervention training for key health professionals so they can effectively raise the issue of SHS in the home and support any behaviour change.