DOI

10.21007/con.dnp.2024.0085

Faculty Advisor

Laura Reed, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 4-24-2024

Disciplines

Family Practice Nursing | Health and Medical Administration | Health Services Research | Investigative Techniques | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing | Nursing Administration | Public Health | Public Health and Community Nursing | Quality Improvement | Substance Abuse and Addiction

Abstract

Referral to In-Person Smoking Cessation Counseling as a Smoking Cessation Aid

Purpose/Background

Smoking increases an individual’s risk of acute and chronic disease morbidity and mortality, as well as creating a financial burden for the individual and healthcare system. In the United States, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. There are an estimated 5 million tobacco-related deaths each year due to tobacco smoking. Additional healthcare costs are also seen due to the need for increased treatments, medical supplies, and staffing. Previous research for smoking cessation resources has primarily focused on traditional primary care offices. Research shows that in-person counseling may be used as a behavioral modification tool to increase smoking cessation rates. Individual counseling alone was seen to be effective and increase the likelihood of cessation compared to less intense treatment. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to assess the number of patients who are current tobacco smokers and were referred to in-person smoking cessation counseling.

Methods

Electronic medical records (EMR) from a metropolitan underserved primary care clinic in Memphis, TN were queried for patient-reported smoking and tobacco use from January 1, 2023-June 30, 2023. Fifty EMRs were identified and reviewed for the number of patients referred to an in-person smoking cessation counseling program. For the study population, patients were randomly selected and had to be 18 years or older. Included were adult patients ages 30-78 with a diagnosis of tobacco/ smoking use documented in the EMR. Of the individuals referred, groups were divided by gender and by those who attended in-person counseling and those who did not.

Results

Of the 50 identified patients, 29 (58%) were referred to an in-person smoking cessation counseling program. Patients referred were predominantly female (72.4%) with a mean age of

52.8 [range 30-78] years. Among those referred, 55.2% attended the counseling program.

Implications for Nursing Practice

In-person smoking cessation counseling is an effective aid for smoking cessation, with more than half of those referred attending the program. Females are more likely to be referred to smoking cessation counseling and attend. Implementing referrals to smoking cessation counseling may be an effective smoking cessation intervention, specifically for females. More research is needed regarding patient follow-up and long-term smoking cessation, as this study did not include these measures. This study is feasible and may be replicated in practice. In-person counseling is another method that may be used to aid in smoking cessation. Future research should include identification of patient demographics, like smoking history, socioeconomic status, current comorbidities, and previous attempts at smoking cessation.

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