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Sherman SE, Yano EM, Lanto AB, Simon BF, Rubenstein LV. Smokers' interest in quitting and services received: using practice information to plan quality improvement and policy for smoking cessation. American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality. 2005 Jan 1; 20(1):33-9.
Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects. Given the prevalence of smoking, its impact, and the benefits of cessation, helping smokers quit should be a top priority for health care organizations. To restructure health care delivery and guide future policy, the authors used baseline survey data from an 18-site Veterans Health Administration group randomized trial to assess the level of interest in quitting smoking for a practice population and determine what smoking cessation services they reported receiving. Among 1941 current smokers, 55% did not intend to quit in the next 6 months, and the remainder intended to quit in the next month (13%) to 6 months (32%). Forty-five percent reported a quit attempt in the prior year. While nearly two thirds of smokers reported being counseled about cessation within the past year, only 29% were referred to a cessation program, and 25% received a prescription for nicotine patches. Tobacco control efforts within this population should focus on increasing the rate of assisting patients with quitting.
