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. 2021 Aug;10(15):5329-5337.
doi: 10.1002/cam4.4082. Epub 2021 Jul 1.

Associations between cancer diagnosis and patients' responses to an inpatient tobacco treatment intervention

Amanda M Palmer  1   2 , Alana M Rojewski  1   3 , Georges J Nahhas  3   4 , K Michael Cummings  4 , Graham W Warren  3 , Benjamin A Toll  1   3
Affiliations

Associations between cancer diagnosis and patients' responses to an inpatient tobacco treatment intervention

Amanda M Palmer et al. Cancer Med. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Diagnosis of a chronic illness, such as cancer may influence health behavior changes, such as smoking cessation. The present analyses examine associations between a cancer diagnosis (i.e., yes or no) and response to an opt-out smoking cessation bedside intervention provided to hospitalized patients. It was hypothesized that patients with a past or present cancer diagnosis would report higher motivation and engagement with quitting smoking, and higher rates of smoking abstinence after hospital discharge, compared to those without a cancer diagnosis.

Methods: Chart review was conducted on 5287 inpatients who accepted bedside treatment from a counselor and opted-in to automated follow-up calls from July 2014 to December 2019.

Results: At the time of inpatient assessment, those with a past or present cancer diagnosis (n = 419, 7.9%) endorsed significantly higher levels of importance of quitting than those without a cancer diagnosis (3.92/5 vs. 3.77/5), and were more likely to receive smoking cessation medication upon discharge (17.9% vs. 13.3%). Follow-up data from 30-days post-discharge showed those with a cancer diagnosis endorsed higher rates of self-reported abstinence (20.5%) than those without a cancer diagnosis (10.3%; p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Being hospitalized for any reason provides an opportunity for smokers to consider quitting. Having a previous diagnosis of cancer appears to increase intention to quit and lead to higher rates of smoking cessation in patients who are hospitalized compared to patients without cancer. Future research needs to work toward optimizing motivation for smoking cessation while admitted to a hospital and on improving quit rates for all admitted patients, regardless of diagnosis.

Keywords: cancer; cessation; hospitalization; inpatient; prevention; smoking; tobacco.

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Conflict of interest statement

B.A.T. and K.M.C. are consultants to Pfizer on an Advisory Board on e‐cigarettes and ways to improve smoking cessation delivery in health care settings. B.A.T. and K.M.C. testify on behalf of plaintiffs who have filed litigation against the tobacco industry.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of patient records reviewed. Visits were not attempted due to limitations of staff availability and/or patients discharged prior to visit attempt. Visits were unable to be completed due to patients being unavailable during the visit attempt.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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