© 2004 by Oxford University Press
© 2004 Oxford University Press
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EDITORIALS |
Tobacco Control in the Physician’s Office: A Matter of Adequate Training and Resources
Affiliation of authors: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cheltenham, PA
Correspondence to: Robert A. Schnoll, PhD, Division of Population Science, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 510 Township Line Rd., Cheltenham, PA 19012 (e-mail: ra_schnoll@fccc.edu)
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The results reported by Katz et al. (1) in this issue of the Journal are noteworthy because they demonstrate that training physician-based medical practices in smoking cessation treatment guidelines can reduce the rate of patient tobacco use. This study also serves as a catalyst for a broader discussion on the role of physicians’ practices in the treatment of nicotine addiction, a discussion that should consider the degree to which medical practices possess the requisite skills and resources for guideline implementation.
Despite the modest effects of physician-based smoking cessation interventions compared with those of pharmacotherapies (2–4), the "reach" of physician-based treatments (i.e., the proportion of smokers affected by the treatment) makes the impact value of this treatment approach substantial. Given that approximately 70% of smokers visit a physician each year (5), physician-based smoking interventions are a cost-effective way to disseminate cessation