SCAPT STUDY GROUP
AIM:The aim of this study has been to develop a ‘self criticism’ after investigating the characteristics and the extent of the contribution by physicians of different medical specialisationto advising patients on cessation of cigarette smoking(CM).MATERIALS&METHODS:The study was carried out with a total of 317 volunteering physicians working at 6 different healthcare centers. The participants completed a questionnaire specially prepared to rate their attittudes to the CM habit of their patients at the polyclinics, the specialist clinics and the emergency services and the degree of their professional burnout.RESULTS:Mean age of the participants was 39.61 (±7.65) years, made up of 176 (55.5%) males; with 23,4% (n=74) of the participants being smokers themselves.Those physicians who responded as having specifically and always or frequently queried their patients on CM at the polyclinics constituted 66,88% of the participants ;and those who responded as having frequently or generally advised the patients to give up smoking made up 76.58% of the participants.The attitudes of the physicians to the smoking habits of the patients at the specialist clinics (Figure 1).The attitudes differed significantly on the basis of medical specialisation at the specialist clinics (p<0,001) the polyclinics (p=0,004); and at the emergency services (p<0,001).CONCLUSION:The responsibility of the physicians and especially of the pulmonologists and the thoracic surgeons is critical in the fight against the CM habit of the patient. The promotion of the awareness on the subject in the practice of other branches of medicine is very important.