Abstract
BackgroundCigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease. Thus, all activities aiming to reduce smoking play an important role in improving population health. The positive role of the general practitioner (GP) in smoking cessation could increase the success rate for quitting smoking, if compared with unassisted cessation. The aim of this study was to determine what kind of general practitioner smokers need in order to stop smoking.MethodsFour focus groups with 12 current and 12 former smokers (aged 20-59, 11 women and 13 men), were arranged in the city of Toruń, Poland, with a view to describe their opinions on the GP’s role in smoking cessation. The data were subjected to descriptive qualitative content analysis.ResultsTwo major themes emerged in the analysis: the smokers’ positive and negative experiences of the GP in smoking cessation and their expectations regarding the role of the GP in smoking cessation. The first theme embraced the following subthemes: (1) GP’s passivity, (2) routine questions about the patient’s smoking during the visit, (3) lack of time during the visit, and (4) the role model of the GP in smoking cessation. Within the second theme, the respondents identified the following subthemes: (1) bringing up the topic of smoking cessation, even in situations when the patient is unprepared for this; (2) the necessity of a tailored approach to the patient; (3) access to information and evidence confirming the harms of smoking tobacco; (4) prescription of pharmacological and other treatment; and (5) referral to specialists in smoking cessation.ConclusionsPatients expect their GP to actively participate in smoking cessation through a more tailored approach to the patient’s needs. The patients’ experiences did not match their expectations: the smokers rarely got advice on smoking cessation from their GPs. Finally, they emphasized the importance of the GP as a role model in smoking cessation.
Highlights
Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease
The analysis of the transcripts revealed that the patients’ experiences of their general practitioner (GP)’ behavior were predominantly negative, and resulted either from the GP’s bad practices or the shortcomings in the Polish primary care system. They were divided into the following subthemes: (1) GP’s passivity, (2) routine questions about the patient’s smoking during the visit, (3) lack of time during the visit and, (4) the role model of the GP in smoking cessation
Smokers who succeeded in quitting smoking, even though their GP did not motivate them to do it, neither did he participate in the other stages of smoking cessation
Summary
Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease. All activities aiming to reduce smoking play an important role in improving population health. Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease across the world [1,2]. It is estimated that 21% of cancers are due to smoking [4] and that by 2015 smoking will be the cause of 10% of all deaths [5]. The WHO attributes approximately six Smokers represent close to 29% of the adult population in Poland [7]. In the past consumption of cigarettes, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, was one of the highest in the world, reaching approximately 3600 cigarettes per adult [8]. Since the mid-1990s, the sale and consumption of cigarettes have declined
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
