Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jan 14;23(1):10.
doi: 10.1186/s12875-021-01620-8.

Attitudes & behaviors toward the management of tobacco smoking patients: qualitative study with French primary care physicians

Guillaume Coindard  1 , Michaël Acquadro  2 , Raphaël Chaumont  1 , Benoit Arnould  3 , Philippe Boisnault  1 , Rachel Collignon-Portes  1 , Didier Duhot  1 , François Raineri  1 , Béatrice Tugaut  3 , Henri-Jean Aubin  4
Affiliations

Attitudes & behaviors toward the management of tobacco smoking patients: qualitative study with French primary care physicians

Guillaume Coindard et al. BMC Prim Care. .

Abstract

Background: Smoking cessation is a major public health issue. In France, primary care physicians (PCP) are the first contact points for tobacco management. The objective of this study was to understand how PCPs are involved in the management of smoking cessation: ownership, commitment, barriers.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using group and individual semi-structured techniques with PCPs. A thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts was performed to identify concepts and sub-concepts of interest. Saturation was evaluated retrospectively to ensure adequate sample size.

Results: A sample of 35 PCPs were interviewed, 31 in four focus groups and four in individual interviews. PCPs discussed their roles in the management of tobacco smoking cessation, including the different strategies they are using (e.g., Minimal Intervention Strategy, Motivational Interviewing), the multiple barriers encountered (e.g., lack of time, patients' resistance to medical advice), the support resources and the treatment and intervention they prescribed (e.g. nicotine replacement therapy, supporting therapist).

Conclusions: This study provides a better understanding of the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of PCPs in managing smoking cessation. Guiding and encouraging patients toward smoking cessation remains a major objective of PCPs. While PCPs reported that progress has been made in recent years in terms of tools, technology and general awareness, they still face major barriers, some of which could be overcome by appropriate training.

Keywords: Attitude; Behavior; Primary care physician; Public health; Tobacco cessation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Henri-Jean Aubin has participated at advisory boards for Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson for the development of smoking cessation medications. The other authors declare that they have no competing interest.

References

    1. Verbiest M, Brakema E, van der Kleij R, Sheals K, Allistone G, Williams S, et al. National guidelines for smoking cessation in primary care: a literature review and evidence analysis. NPJ Primary Care Respir Med. 2017;27(1):1–11. doi: 10.1038/s41533-016-0007-5. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Szatkowski L, McNeill A. The delivery of smoking cessation interventions to primary care patients with mental health problems. Addiction. 2013;108(8):1487–1494. doi: 10.1111/add.12163. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Smith SS, McCarthy DE, Japuntich SJ, Christiansen B, Piper ME, Jorenby DE, et al. Comparative effectiveness of 5 smoking cessation pharmacotherapies in primary care clinics. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(22):2148–2155. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.426. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Selph S, Patnode C, Bailey SR, Pappas M, Stoner R, Chou R. Primary care–relevant interventions for tobacco and nicotine use prevention and cessation in children and adolescents: updated evidence report and systematic review for the US preventive services task force. Jama. 2020;323(16):1599–1608. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.3332. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Helgason AR, Lund KE. General practitioners' perceived barriers to smoking cessation-results from four Nordic countries. Scand J Public Health. 2002;30(2):141–147. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources