Internet Support for Tobacco Control in Dental Practices
Author Information
Author(s): Eysenbach Gunther, Nunes Luis, Severson Herbert, Houston Thomas K, Richman Joshua S, Ray Midge N, Allison Jeroan J, Gilbert Gregg H, Shewchuk Richard M, Kohler Connie L, Kiefe Catarina I, DPBRN Collaborative Group
Primary Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hypothesis
Access to an Internet-delivered intervention will increase rates of tobacco-use screening and cessation advice in dental practices.
Conclusion
The intervention successfully improved provider performance on advising patients to quit tobacco.
Supporting Evidence
- 75% of dental practices provided follow-up data.
- Intervention practices improved by 11% on advising patients to quit tobacco.
- Control practices did not significantly improve in advising patients.
Takeaway
This study shows that using the internet can help dentists give better advice to patients who smoke.
Methodology
Dental practices were randomized to either an intervention website or a wait-list control, with follow-up data collected from patient exit cards.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-reported data from patients and the nature of the practices selected for the study.
Limitations
The study may have recruited more computer-savvy practices, and direct observation of provider behavior was not feasible.
Participant Demographics
Most practices were general dentistry (92%) and solo practices (79%), with a mean patient age of 48 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.17-1.42 for ASK, 95% CI 1.28-1.87 for ADVISE
Statistical Significance
p=0.042
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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