A Smoking-Cessation Intervention for Hospital Patients

The results demonstrate the efficacy of a brief in-hospital intervention and suggest that relapse-prevention efforts are needed to convert temporary cessation during hospitalization into longterm abstinence.

Abstract

Many patients attempt to stop smoking during hospitalization, but most relapse after discharge. This study developed and evaluated a brief smoking-cessation and relapse-prevention program for hospitalized smokers. All hospitalized smokers (n = 1,119) were identified by questionnaire at hospital admission and then received either usual care or usual care plus a hospital-based smoking-cessation intervention regardless of interest in stopping smoking. Intervention components included a 20-minute bedside counseling session, a 12-minute videotape, a variety of self-help materials, and a follow-up telephone call. Special attention was given to techniques for preventing relapse after hospital discharge. Defining ex-smokers as those who reported no tobacco use at both 3- and 12-month follow-up assessments, and counting those lost to follow-up as smokers, the intervention increased the proportion of patients who quit smoking by one half (9.2% vs 13.5%, P < 0.05). These results demonstrate the efficacy of a brief in-hospital intervention and suggest that relapse-prevention efforts are needed to convert temporary cessation during hospitalization into long-term abstinence.