The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: An admission to hospital provides an opportunity to help patients stop smoking. Inpatient smokers are more open to receiving help and advice at a time of perceived vulnerability, and find it easier to quit in an environment where smoking is prohibited. The objectives are to: 1) Create an effective framework which facilitates the provision of interventions by healthcare professionals in the inpatient setting. 2) Provide effective and afforable quit smoking therapy and follow-up for smoking patients. 3) Determine the effectiveness of cessation intervention among hospitalised smoker patients. The desired outcome is to integrate inpatient cessation intervention into existing clinical management protocols, resulting in sustainable and cost-effective intervention programmes.

Methods: The programme's framework and protocols were developed and implemented with healthcare professionals from 3 major hospitals. The framework involved a multi-disciplinary team with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. These roles included identifying smoker patients, providing brief advice, referring smoker patients to and proving intensive cessation therapy. The team underwent continuing education on the importance and relevance of cessation intervention as part of routine clinical care, and on-going encouragement to maintain high involvement. In-patient resources were developed to assist patients to quit.

Results: At the end of 1 year, 2323 smokers were identified. 99% were given brief advice about the dangers of smoking and benefits of quitting. 21% agreed to and received intensive cessation therapy during their hospital stay. Telephone follow-up at 6 months showed that 36% of those who received intensive inpatient cessation therapy stayed smoke-free.