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Survey: Optometrists uncomfortable discussing tobacco behaviors with patients
A survey recently published in Optometry & Vision Science reported that optometrists are not consistently addressing tobacco cessation and prevention with patients.
Kennedy and colleagues also found that these behaviors exist despite optometrists' awareness of the effect of smoking on ocular health and disease.
Researchers distributed a bilingual survey to all 4,528 optometrists registered in Canada, as detailed in the study; 850 optometrists responded.
Results showed that 98% of responding optometrists believe that age-related macular degeneration is associated with smoking cigarettes. Additionally, 55% of optometrists ask about the smoking status of the patient during their first visit, and 36% detail smoking-related ocular health risks regularly after identifying a patient that smokes. In evaluating why optometrists may not address smoking, researchers found that 66% of practitioners reported insufficient knowledge of cessation services, and 57% reported insufficient visit time.
"The results of this survey, in particular the open-ended responses, indicate that many Canadian optometrists are uncomfortable addressing tobacco use with patients because they believe that society already ‘hassles’ people who smoke," the authors also noted.
They acknowledged in their report that optometrists should take advantage of existing methods to increase their role in tobacco management.
"Effective strategies that optometrists can use to support smoking cessation in their busy optometric practice have been identified,” the researchers said. “The goal is to begin discussion with patients, briefly deliver information and motivate their engagement. For this to be done effectively, optometrists need to feel confident asking about smoking and motivating a quit attempt.
"Opportunities for continuing education around cessation – including training specifically for optometrists – need to continue to increase," they concluded.
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Optom Vis Sci. 2014; doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000303.