Doctor's Survey 2022 — Italy - Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

Doctors’ Survey — Italy

Italy 🇮🇹

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Physicians Have Misperceptions About Nicotine

Participants were asked: “To what extent do you agree that nicotine by itself directly causes each of the smoking-related conditions below: Lung cancer, Bladder cancer, Head/neck/gastric cancers, Atherosclerosis, Birth defects, COPD.” The results include responses from “moderately agree” to “completely agree.”

Nicotine causes birth defects77%
Nicotine causes atherosclerosis76%
Nicotine causes COPD69%
Nicotine causes bladder cancer69%
Nicotine causes lung cancer67%
Nicotine causes head/neck gastric cancers64%

90%

of respondents are interested in taking training on how to help their patients who smoke combustible tobacco products by reducing quitting smoking.

90%

of physicians feel like helping patients quit smoking is a priority.

Participants were asked: “Which of the following interventions or methods to aid your patients with smoking reduction/cessation do you typically recommend or prescribe to your patients who want to reduce or quit smoking?”

Psychological/psychiatric counseling or therapy
Social or family support
Cold turkey (suddenly quitting with no other help)
Referral to smoking cessation clinics
Prescription medication for smoking cessation
Over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy
Electronic nicotine delivery system/ecig
Alternative therapy
Heated tobacco products
Chewing/sucking/dipping forms of tobacco products
Withdrawal app

Participants were asked: “Which of the following topics do you typically discuss or take action with your patients who smoke combustible forms of tobacco, regardless of other conditions they may have?”

Discuss health risks related to continued smoking71%
Discuss health benefits of quitting to the patient68%
Ask how much the patient smokes and for how long62%
Assess importance of quitting to the patient53%
Advise the patient to quit rather than gradually reduce53%
Record smoking status on the patient chart or record52%
Explain the various methods available to help the patient reduce/quit smoking51%
Ask about patient’s current use of tobacco or nicotine-containing products other than combustible tobacco products49%
Recommend cutting down on the amount of smokable tobacco products used 44%
Assess interest in trying a specific resource/product43%
Assess challenges to quitting use of smokable tobacco42%
Assist the patient to develop a plan to quit36%
Discuss smoking at every visit34%

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