Smoking cessation outcomes of referring smokers to a specialist hospital outpatient clinic after their hospital stay
| Author(s)
Milan Khara and Chizimuzo Okoli
| | Presenter(s) |
Dr Milan Khara Clinical Director, Vancouver General Hospital Smoking Cessation Clinic, Canada |
Chizimuzo Okoli Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky College of Nursing, Lexington, USA | Abstract Background and objectives: Hospital visits are a window of opportunity to engage smokers in tobacco treatment. This study provides program engagement and smoking cessation outcomes of patients referred to a specialist, hospital-based outpatient tobacco treatment program in Vancouver, Canada.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of program participation data (N=486) between September 2010 to December 2014. The primary outcomes of interest were engagement in the program and 7-day point-prevalence of smoking abstinence (verified by expired carbon monoxide).
Results: Sixty-eight percent of participants who were referred to the program were engaged (70% from the hospital, 4% from community programs, 11% from general practitioners, and 16% self-referrals). Thirty-percent of engagers achieved smoking cessation (30% from the hospital, 8% from community programs, 19% from general practitioners, and 39% self-referrals) with stopping smoking for one month or longer at the last attempt, greater confidence in quitting smoking, lower expired carbon monoxide levels at baseline, and greater duration in the program as significant predictors of successful smoking cessation.
Conclusions: Providing tobacco treatment follow-up and referral for smokers after a hospital visit is important to support engagement in and enhance success with smoking cessation. Specialist, treatment services within hospital settings can enhance engagement.
| Presenter biography Dr. Milan Khara, MBChB, CCFP, Dip. ABAM is the Clinical Director of the Vancouver General Hospital Smoking Cessation Clinic and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. His clinical practice and research focus is on treating tobacco dependence among hard to treat smokers with chronic physical and mental health disorders.
Dr. Chizimuzo Okoli, PhD, MPH, RN is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and consultant for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. His research area is on the development and evaluation of evidence-based tobacco treatment for vulnerable populations.
| Source of funding: No funding
| Declaration of interest: Dr Milan Khara has received consultation fees from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson (makers of smoking cessation medications) in the last three years.
Dr Chizimuzo Okoli has received consultation fees from Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in the past 3 years.
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