Opportunities for Improving Inpatient Smoking Cessation Programs: A Community Hospital Experience

Abstract

Background. This cohort study examined the role of smoking during hospitalization, duration of cessation counseling, patient awareness of the hospital's smoke-free policy, belief that smoking is associated with a current symptom or disease, and the presence of withdrawal symptoms with 12-month smoking cessation among inpatients enrolled in a smoking cessation program.Methods. Inpatients in four community hospitals (N = 1317) participated in a smoking cessation intervention consisting of face-to-face counseling at baseline and four follow-up counseling phone calls. Patients were classified as nonsmokers only if they reported not smoking at both the 6- and the 12-month interviews. All patients lost to follow-up were considered smokers.Results. At 1 year the smoking cessation rate was 22.5%. Cessation was independently associated with reporting no smoking during hospitalization, noting no withdrawal symptoms at baseline, and believing that a current illness or symptom is related to smoking. Length of counseling interview and awareness of the hospital's smoke-free policy were not independently associated with cessation.Conclusions. Smoking cessation programs and hospital policies that decrease smoking during hospitalization, address withdrawal symptoms during hospitalization, and make clear the connection between a patient's health and cigarette smoking may increase the effectiveness of their smoking cessation efforts.