Key result
Physician activation programs yield a ~30% three-month smoking abstinence rate in high-risk CV patients.
Why the study?
Physicians at major hospitals in Taiwan previously referred high cardiovascular risk patients to other departments for smoking cessation, but participation rates were unsatisfactory.
Does a physician activation strategy including training and contests improve the provision of smoking cessation treatment services and abstinence rates in high CVD risk patients?
Does a physician activation strategy including training and contests improve the provision of smoking cessation treatment services and abstinence rates in high CVD risk patients?
An implementation strategy using training and contests successfully activated specialist physicians to provide smoking cessation services, leading to high patient enrollment and a >30% short-term abstinence rate.
May support physician activation strategies for smoking cessation in high-CVD-risk patients; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation before practice change.
Background: Adult patients cared for by cardiologists, neurologists, and diabetologists are highly vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are worsened by smoking. In the past, physicians of these three specialties at major hospitals in Taiwan always referred patients to family medicine and chest medicine departments for smoking cessation programs. However, the participation rate in these programs was unsatisfactory. Objectives: To encourage cardiologists, neurologists, and diabetologists to provide smoking cessation treatment services (SCTSs) to their patients through an annual contest. Methods: Sequential expert meetings, group training, a contest to reward service quantity and abstinence rate, and an annual awards ceremony were held over the past 3 years. Results: More than 350 cardiologists, neurologists, and diabetologists were certified to provide SCTSs, and in the second half of 2020, 3716 high CVD risk patients entered smoking cessation treatment programs, with an abstinence rate exceeding 30% at 3 months. Conclusions: The strategy used in this study was effective in overcoming physician inertia to provide SCTSs and encourage high CVD risk smokers to quit smoking.
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Su et al. (2022) studied High cardiovascular risk smokers (n=3,716). Physician activation strategy (expert meetings, group training, contest) was evaluated on Abstinence rate at 3 months. A physician activation strategy including training and contests led to 3,716 high cardiovascular risk patients entering smoking cessation programs, achieving a >30% abstinence rate at 3 months.
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