Long-Term Outcomes From Repeated Smoking Cessation Assistance in Routine Primary Care

A retrospective, observational cohort was used to test the association between repeated clinical smoking cessation support and long-term cessation in the United States. Patients over the age of 18 who were smokers in 2007 and had more than one primary care visit in each of the following four years were included. Overall, 20% of the cohort achieved the status of long-term quit (LTQ), defined as no indication of being a current smoker for more than 1 year following a visit where smoking status was indicated. Patients with more than 75% of visits with any type of cessation assistance (medication, counselling or referral) had almost 3 times the odds of achieving LTQ status compared to those with less than 25% of visits relating to cessation assistance. These findings support the importance of repeated assistance in primary care to increase the chances of long term cessation. Read the full article 
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