ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, COMFORT LEVEL, AND CLINICAL PRACTICES OF MEDICINE RESIDENTS REGARDING THE TOPIC OF SMOKING CESSATION AND HARM REDUCTION: ARE WE TRAINING OUR RESIDENTS WELL ENOUGH?

Abstract

SESSION TITLE: Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Posters SESSION TYPE: Original Investigation Posters PRESENTED ON: October 18-21, 2020 PURPOSE: Our study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge of Internal medicine (IM) and Family medicine (FM) residents regarding smoking cessation counseling, prescribing pharmacological drugs, and familiarity with the concept of harm reduction. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study conducted at large community hospital. All current IM residents from Postgraduate Year-1 (PGY-1) to Postgraduate Year-4 (PGY-4) and FM residents from Postgraduate Year-1 (PGY-1) to Postgraduate Year-3 (PGY-3) were included. A 20-question data collection form was developed. The questionnaire was created using the ©SurveyPlanet tool and was sent to all participants via email. RESULTS: Out of 79 participants (57 IM and 22 FM), only 44 participants (55.6%) ( 10 in FM and 34 in IM) completed the questionnaire. Residents demonstrated below-average understanding (18%) of the basic concepts of the 5-A model, stages of behavior change, and evidence-based guidelines regarding adequate time spent and the resulting outcome. Assessment of pharmacotherapy side effects showed that residents are least aware of Varenicline (25%, n=11) side effects, compared to Nicotine (61%, n=27) and bupropion (84%, n=37). Only 13.6% (n=6) are aware of evidence-based practice for using pharmacotherapy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). 86% of the residents spend 1-5 minutes on smoking cessation, and 63 % recognized the lack of time as the most significant barrier to counseling. 50% of residents blamed a lack of awareness of available resources as the biggest hurdle to quitting smoking, and despite this, only 45% has ever used a QUIT SMOKING helpline. FM residents seem to be more familiar with QUIT SMOKING helplines (70% vs 38%) and harm reduction models (81% vs 72%) compared to IM. Cutting down was the most common harm reduction model amongst both groups (68%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study clearly demonstrated that both IM and FM residents need more education and formal training about clinical practice guidelines regarding smoking cessation. It can be achieved by arranging educational lectures and placing the summarized guidelines on the hospital’s clinical decision support page. It is crucial to make the discussion about smoking cessation a routine part of the resident’s assessment and encourage them to formulate a plan to address the issue. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Residents are one of the most critical parts of the healthcare team. Their knowledge, approach, and attitude towards actively smoking patients can make a huge difference in helping patients quit or reduce smoking. Focused resident education in this regard will improve their knowledge and understanding of the subject, which in turn can help us achieve a higher smoking cessation rate. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Ahmad Arslan, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Bilal Lashari, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by nayab Nadeem, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Ahmad Raza, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Umer Shoukat, source=Web Response