A strategy for involving general practitioners in smoking control

Objective: In 1991,the Victorian Smoking and Health Program introduced a si mple intervention strategy for general practitioners that could be integrat ed conveniently and inexpensively into the routine care of patients who smo ke. The aim of this study was to determine whether there had been a change over time in whether or not GPs advised their patients not to smoke. Method: The extent to which smokers remembered GPs talking to them about sm oking was assessed in population-based surveys of adults in Victoria in 199 0 (prior to the implementation of the intervention) and in 1992, 1994 and 1 996. Results: Over time there was a significant increase in the proportion of sm okers who reported that their GP had provided them with help or information to stop smoking (chi(2) = 17.58, p<0.001). In 1996, 9% of smokers said the ir doctor had advised them to contact Quit. Conclusion: Levels of recalled advice and provision of information regardin g smoking cessation have increased by 10% over the past six years. However, nearly half the smokers in this study reported that they had been given in appropriate advice or no advice at all. Implications: A brief intervention by GPs, supplemented by appropriate refe rrals, has the potential to assist significant numbers of smokers to quit a nd may be more practical for GPs who are unable to personally provide all o f the support smokers may need to quit.