Qualitative study investigating the process of giving anti-smoking advice in general practice

Tim Coleman, Francine Cheater, Elizabeth Murphy

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    32 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    General practitioners' (GPs') anti-smoking advice promotes patients' smoking cessation but little is known about how GPs use their short consultations to give advice. We used semi-structured interviews with 27 UK GPs to investigate how GPs believe they should advise smokers to stop and the reasons underpinning these beliefs. GPs reported a limited repertoire of techniques for dealing with smokers who were not motivated to stop. They also reported using confrontational advice-giving styles with patients who continued to smoke despite suffering from smoking-related illnesses. GPs might find it easier and more rewarding to discuss smoking with patients if they possessed a greater range of skills for dealing with non-motivated smokers.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)159-163
    Number of pages5
    JournalPatient Education and Counseling
    Volume52
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Feb 2004

    Keywords

    • Attitude of Health Personnel
    • Clinical Competence
    • Family Practice
    • Great Britain
    • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
    • Humans
    • Motivation
    • Patient Education as Topic
    • Physician's Practice Patterns
    • Physician's Role
    • Physicians, Family
    • Qualitative Research
    • Questionnaires
    • Smoking
    • Smoking Cessation
    • Videotape Recording

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