General Practitioners as Agents of Health Risk Behaviour Change: Opportunities for Behavioural Science in Patient Smoking Cessation

Abstract

General practitioners have been suggested as occupying a position in the community that offers considerable potential for reducing the prevalence of health risk behaviours. Green, Eriksen, and Schor (1988) have proposed that if general practitioners are to effectively adopt a role in modifying patient health risk behaviours, a number of prerequisite conditions must be met. Using the model proposed by Green et al., this paper reviews the literature to describe the circumstances under which general practitioners currently practise this role. The review focuses on the circumstances relating to practitioner modification of one patient health risk behaviour: smoking. Research detailing the extent of practitioner involvement in the modification of this risk behaviour is also reviewed. The paper concludes by discussing the opportunities available for behavioural scientists to facilitate general practitioners' adoption of a role in patient smoking cessation.