Effectiveness of Nurse Referrals for Smoking Cessation
Author Information
Author(s): Jane M Young, Seham Girgis, Tracey A Bruce, Melissa Hobbs, Jeanette E Ward
Primary Institution: Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Australia
Hypothesis
Does opportunistic referral of smokers by GPs to telephone cessation advice from a nurse improve quit rates?
Conclusion
The study found low acceptance of the referral and no significant improvement in quit rates.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 45% of smokers consented to the referral for telephone cessation advice.
- At six months, there was no significant difference in quit rates between the intervention and control groups.
- The intervention was equally ineffective across different stages of change for smoking cessation.
Takeaway
The study tried to help smokers quit by having nurses call them, but not many smokers wanted to join, and it didn't help them quit better than usual care.
Methodology
Adult smokers were randomly assigned to either usual care or referral to a telephone-based cessation program with a nurse.
Potential Biases
Possible response bias as those who declined to participate did not provide smoking status.
Limitations
Low acceptance of the intervention and potential bias due to self-reported smoking status.
Participant Demographics
Participants were adult smokers aged 18-65, with a mean age of 39 years, and included both males and females.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.003 for consent based on stage of change.
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.8–8.1 for 'contemplation' and 95% CI: 1.7–44.4 for 'preparation'.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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