Evaluation of a (pilot) stage-tailored brief smoking cessation intervention among hospital patients

Abstract

Despite the significant benefits of advising all smokers to quit, hospital patients who smoke do not systematicallyreceive this advice. This study sought to determine the prevalence of smoking, attitudes of patients towards notsmoking while in hospital, and the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief smoking cessation intervention in a pre-admissionclinic context. Over 230 smokers received a brief smoking cessation intervention, while a control group(n=114) received only a free Quit Kit. The age-standardised smoking prevalence was 19%; a further 3% of patientswere recent quitters. Most smokers do not expect or experience problems with not smoking while in hospital. Briefsmoking cessation advice tailored to stage-of-change by a health worker in a hospital pre-admission clinic significantlyincreased the quit rates for females.