• A Prochazka, J Koziol-McLain, D Tomlinson, and S R Lowenstein.
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA.
• Acad Emerg Med. 1995 Mar 1; 2 (3): 211-6.

ObjectivesTo determine: 1) the extent of emergency physicians' (EPs') training in smoking cessation counseling; 2) their understanding of counseling and pharmacologic treatment techniques; 3) their current practices in screening, counseling, and referring patients who smoke; and 4) perceived barriers to routine smoking cessation counseling in emergency medical practice.MethodsA 26-item questionnaire addressing the above issues was mailed to all 256 members of the Colorado Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.ResultsCompleted questionnaires were returned by 196 physicians (77% response rate). The majority of respondents were men (80%), practiced in urban settings (87%), and were board-certified in emergency medicine (82%). Most EPs lacked formal smoking cessation training (55%) and felt poorly prepared to counsel patients about smoking cessation (65%). A minority (27%) of the physicians reported routinely asking patients to quit smoking. The physicians with formal smoking cessation training were more likely to counsel and refer patients routinely (34% vs 20%, p = 0.03). The physicians cited the following barriers to routine smoking cessation counseling: a lack of time; a perception that patients are not interested; a belief that the ED setting is inappropriate for counseling; and a sense that counseling is ineffective. Lack of reimbursement was cited by only 13% of the respondents. The physicians who had formal smoking cessation training perceived fewer barriers to ED-based counseling.ConclusionsEmergency physicians have received little training in smoking cessation and perceive many barriers to ED-based smoking cessation interventions. Not surprisingly, they infrequently take action to encourage or assist their patients to quit smoking.

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