Abstract
Background:
Respiratory therapists (RTs) acknowledge the fact that smoking has a significant impact on health statistics and is threatening the lives of smokers. A smoking cessation program is a program designed to aid and support smokers to quit. Smokers usually interface with RTs in both acute and chronic settings for managing their pulmonary insufficiency. Therefore, the RTs are particularly significant for implementing the smoking cessation program. The presented study aims to describe the awareness of RTs regarding smoking cessation program and its implementation.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among RTs from different regions in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the awareness of clinical guidelines of smoking cessation program, and to evaluate the implementation of ask, advise, refer (AAR) tobacco cessation counseling approach by RTs. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Institutional review board (IRB) approval was acquired.
Results:
193 RTs participated in the study. Most of the participants 92% of them were not certified tobacco control specialists. Only 31% of RT participants had attended a lecture or seminar related to smoking cessation. Surprisingly, the awareness of mobile smoking clinics was limited to 33%, and over 77% did not know the telephone number of anti-smoking clinics. The status of the implementation of AAR revealed that 33% of RTs asked the smoker patient if they smoke, 28.5% of them advised smokers to quit, 7% referred to a counseling session, and only 6% referred smokers to the national tobacco control program.
Conclusions:
The findings revealed that the awareness and the implementation of smoking cessation program among RTs is limited. Lack of training should be of concern to the national public health organizations and policymakers in Saudi Arabia.
Participants Characteristics, n (%)
Gender
Female
75 (39%)
Male
118 (61%)
Work area
Critical care
149 (77%)
Sub-acute care
44 (23%)
Level of education
Associate degree
6 (3%)
BS degree
171 (89%)
Post graduate degree
16 (8%)
Years of experience
0-3 years
111 (57.5%)
3-5 years
29 (15%)
More than 5 years
53 (27.5%)
Currently tobacco user
Yes
52 (27%)
No
141 (73%)
Certification of tobacco treatment specialist
Yes
15 (8%)
No
178 (92%)
Attending at least one lecture/seminar related to smoking cessation
Yes
60 (31%)
No
133 (69%)
Know about mobile smoking clinic
Yes
63 (33%)
No
130 (67%)
Know the phone number of smoking cessation program
Yes
44 (23%)
No
149 (77%)
Participant awareness of smoking cessation program:
In the past week, did you ask patients whether they smoke?
Yes
63 (33%)
No
83 (43%)
Sometime
47 (24%)
In the past week, did you advice patients to quit smoking?
Yes
55 (28.5%)
No
107 (55.5%)
Sometime
31 (16%)
In the past week, did you refer patients to smoking cessation counseling?
Yes
13 (7%)
No
164 (85%)
Sometime
16 (8%)
In the past week, did refer patients to the national tobacco control program?
Yes
12 (6%)
No
175 (91%)
Sometime
6 (3%)
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