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Although 86% of physicians surveyed reported routinely screening adolescent patients for cigarette smoking, only 14% routinely screened for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use; in fact, only 34% of physicians reported having ever discussed e-cigarettes during an adolescent’s visit, a survey-based study revealed.
As reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Jessica K. Pepper, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and her associates emailed invitations to complete a brief survey to 2,368 U.S. physician panel members with pediatric or family medicine specialties, of whom 776 (53% pediatricians, 47% family medicine physicians) were eligible and completed the survey.
Family medicine physicians had higher odds of engaging in prevention of e-cigarette use than pediatricians (26% vs. 18%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.57). Among the 34% of physicians who had conversations on e-cigarettes with adolescents during a clinical encounter, the most frequent topics of conversation were the potential health harms of using e-cigarettes (77%), discussions on not starting to use e-cigarettes (65%), whether e-cigarette use helps smokers quit (49%), and whether using e-cigarettes leads to smoking (42%). Also of note, 40% of physicians said they would, if asked, tell their patients that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, and 24% would recommend e-cigarettes to adolescents for smoking cessation.
“The results of the present study suggest a need to improve routine screening and counseling for e-cigarette use among adolescents, and provide educational resources to physicians. Incorporating e-cigarettes into existing practice guidelines about tobacco use could boost prevention efforts and possibly prevent recommendation of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation tools for adolescents until there is conclusive evidence among youth,” the authors wrote.
Read the full article at the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Although 86% of physicians surveyed reported routinely screening adolescent patients for cigarette smoking, only 14% routinely screened for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use; in fact, only 34% of physicians reported having ever discussed e-cigarettes during an adolescent’s visit, a survey-based study revealed.
As reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Jessica K. Pepper, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and her associates emailed invitations to complete a brief survey to 2,368 U.S. physician panel members with pediatric or family medicine specialties, of whom 776 (53% pediatricians, 47% family medicine physicians) were eligible and completed the survey.
Family medicine physicians had higher odds of engaging in prevention of e-cigarette use than pediatricians (26% vs. 18%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.57). Among the 34% of physicians who had conversations on e-cigarettes with adolescents during a clinical encounter, the most frequent topics of conversation were the potential health harms of using e-cigarettes (77%), discussions on not starting to use e-cigarettes (65%), whether e-cigarette use helps smokers quit (49%), and whether using e-cigarettes leads to smoking (42%). Also of note, 40% of physicians said they would, if asked, tell their patients that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, and 24% would recommend e-cigarettes to adolescents for smoking cessation.
“The results of the present study suggest a need to improve routine screening and counseling for e-cigarette use among adolescents, and provide educational resources to physicians. Incorporating e-cigarettes into existing practice guidelines about tobacco use could boost prevention efforts and possibly prevent recommendation of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation tools for adolescents until there is conclusive evidence among youth,” the authors wrote.
Read the full article at the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Although 86% of physicians surveyed reported routinely screening adolescent patients for cigarette smoking, only 14% routinely screened for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use; in fact, only 34% of physicians reported having ever discussed e-cigarettes during an adolescent’s visit, a survey-based study revealed.
As reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Jessica K. Pepper, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and her associates emailed invitations to complete a brief survey to 2,368 U.S. physician panel members with pediatric or family medicine specialties, of whom 776 (53% pediatricians, 47% family medicine physicians) were eligible and completed the survey.
Family medicine physicians had higher odds of engaging in prevention of e-cigarette use than pediatricians (26% vs. 18%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.57). Among the 34% of physicians who had conversations on e-cigarettes with adolescents during a clinical encounter, the most frequent topics of conversation were the potential health harms of using e-cigarettes (77%), discussions on not starting to use e-cigarettes (65%), whether e-cigarette use helps smokers quit (49%), and whether using e-cigarettes leads to smoking (42%). Also of note, 40% of physicians said they would, if asked, tell their patients that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, and 24% would recommend e-cigarettes to adolescents for smoking cessation.
“The results of the present study suggest a need to improve routine screening and counseling for e-cigarette use among adolescents, and provide educational resources to physicians. Incorporating e-cigarettes into existing practice guidelines about tobacco use could boost prevention efforts and possibly prevent recommendation of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation tools for adolescents until there is conclusive evidence among youth,” the authors wrote.
Read the full article at the Journal of Adolescent Health.
FROM THE JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
