Promotion of smoking cessation by New Zealand general practitioners: a description of current practice

Aims. To describe the advice and support New Zealand general practitioners (GPs) reported providing to patients about smoking cessation, to explore ba rriers encountered in providing this advice, and to compare reported practi ce with recommended best practice. Methods. 450 GPs were surveyed from four different localities using a struc tured postal questionnaire. Results. Questionnaires were returned by 283 GPs, giving a response rate of 63%. Approximately one-third of GPs asked every adult patient about their smoking status. Fewer recorded this information in the patient's notes. GPs , based on their own experience, considered nicotine replacement therapy (N RT) and their own advice to quit to be the two most useful smoking cessatio n strategies. They perceived patient resistance and time pressures as the m ain barriers limiting their ability to give advice to patients about smokin g cessation. Conclusions. GPs provide smoking cessation advice to many patients, but thi s needs' to be viewed in the context of the New Zealand fee-for-service pri mary care system and competing demands placed on the limited time available within a consultation. There is potential to increase the: practice nurse' s involvement in providing smoking cessation advice.