Experts: COVID-19 pandemic should not stop PCPs from encouraging patients to quit smoking
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Studies that have found a link between smoking and COVID-19 severity provide a new reason for primary care physicians to keep talking to their patients about ways to quit smoking, an expert told Healio.
“Although smoking does not appear to put you at risk for getting COVID-19, if you get COVID-19, and you smoke, you are more at risk of getting complications and dying,” Steven A. Schroeder, MD, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
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Schroeder acknowledged that PCPs were “overloaded” with tasks to cram into visits with patients before the COVID-19 pandemic and that for some, the pandemic has exacerbated their workload. Even so, he pushed back with his clinic’s 30-second strategy for helping patients who smoke break the habit.
“I ask, ‘Have you been smoking for a long time, and would you like to quit?’ and if so, ‘we have a clinic in our practice or there is the toll-free telephone number 1-800-QUIT NOW that you can call and get free counseling.’”
Schroeder added, “if you can help the patient yourself, that's acceptable. If you can send them to a place that can help, that's essential. If you do not have time to help, in my opinion that is unacceptable.”
HHS data indicate clinical tasks related to “tobacco use or exposure” was the third most common education and counseling service that was ordered during ambulatory visits in 2018 — the most recent year such data were available. Robert Bales, MD, a family physician at Cleveland Clinic, encouraged PCPs to not drop the ball if a patient brings up smoking cessation during office visits.
“If patients express any interest in stopping tobacco use, it is extremely important to have that discussion directly at the point in time when they show interest,” he told Healio. “I have a patient handout with recommendations and resources for smoking cessation in my EHR that I can print for patients as we conclude the visit. Lastly, I have these patients schedule a follow up office visit for the specific intent of talking about smoking and how to stop, including medications.”
Although “the topic of COVID-19 is very important ... heart disease and cancer remain the top two leading causes of mortality in the United States for both men and women,” Bale said. “By addressing tobacco use we can reduce the risk for the two most common drivers of mortality in this country.”
Throughout 2021, researchers explored ways to potentially improve smoking cessation rates. Below, Healio recaps 10 stories on the topic.
VIDEO: Smoking cessation programs see ‘success with repetition’
Matthew A. Steliga, MD, spoke with Healio about a presentation he gave on smoking cessation programs for patients being screened for lung cancer. Read more and watch video.
Financial incentives improve smoking cessation among pregnant women
Pregnant women were more likely to adhere to smoking abstinence if they received financial incentives as part of their treatment plan, according to findings published in The BMJ. Read more.
Smartphone app helped Black smokers quit
Among Black adults, an acceptance and commitment therapy-based smartphone app was more effective for smoking cessation compared with a conventional app, researchers reported in Addiction. Read more.
American Thoracic Society policy highlights recommendations to reduce tobacco use, improve health
The American Thoracic Society Tobacco Action Committee released a new policy with recommendations created to reduce tobacco use, and increase research, treatment and tobacco treatment program implementation. Read more.
Parental smoking intervention cost-effective in pediatric primary care setting
A parental smoking intervention was effective and “inexpensive” to implement in pediatric primary care practices, with costs per quit that were comparable to other interventions, according to researchers. Read more.
Ramadan represents ‘untapped opportunity’ to encourage smoking cessation among Muslim men
Religiously tailored text messages intended to decrease smoking during Ramadan were “feasible and acceptable” among Muslim men in Minnesota, results of a single-arm observational study showed. Read more.
Smoking cessation program effective for people with psychiatric disorders post-discharge
A scalable, multicomponent intervention for smoking cessation appeared effective among people with psychiatric disorders following hospital discharge, according to results of a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry. Read more.
Text message intervention effective in reducing e-cigarette use
Young adults who received daily text messages as part of an e-cigarette cessation intervention reported higher rates of nicotine abstinence compared with a control group, according to results of a randomized clinical trial. Read more.
Study shows survival benefits of smoking cessation after lung cancer diagnosis
Current smokers with early-stage lung cancer who quit smoking after their diagnosis had improved overall and progression-free survival rates, according to a prospective cohort study. Read more.
Rheumatology staff-driven protocol boosts referrals to tobacco quit lines 26-fold
Quit Connect, an electronic health record protocol for referring rheumatology patients to tobacco quit lines implemented by staff at the University of Wisconsin, increased referrals 26-fold over a 6-month period, according to data. Read more.
Role of flavored e-cigarettes on cigarette smoking uptake, cessation unclear in youth
Flavors are an important motivator for e-cigarette uptake in youth, but the role of flavored e-cigarettes on uptake of tobacco smoking or cessation remains unclear, according to a systematic review published in Addiction. Read more.
VIDEO: Integrating tobacco cessation strategies into lung cancer practice
Matthew A. Steliga, MD, discusses a presentation from the World Conference on Lung Cancer that focused on the importance of integrating tobacco cessation strategies into lung cancer practice. Read more and watch video.
Reference
Santo L, Okeyode T. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2018 National Summary Tables. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ahcd/namcs_summary/ 2018-namcs-web-tables-508.pdf. Accessed Dec. 21, 2021