Smoking cessation care for patients with cancer in NSW hospitals

Background: Smoking status is a powerful clinical risk indicator for patients with cancer and merits the full attention of the healthcare team and the patient. However, limited evidence suggests that smoking cessation care for patients is typically poor. There is little rigorous research on the extent to which cessation support is offered to Australian patients with cancer. Aims: To identify the degree to which hospitals support the delivery of routine smoking cessation care in oncology, and describe staff attitudes to smoking cessation care. Methods: All staff involved in the care of oncology patients (including medical, nursing and allied health) in seven NSW hospitals were invited to complete a survey. The survey assessed: the delivery of smoking cessation care; strategies used to encourage smoking cessation care and staff attitudes toward smoking cessation care for patients with cancer. Results: Of the 193 respondents (response rate: 31.2%), the highest proportion asked patients about their smoking status (approximately 48% of all inpatients and 43% of all outpatients). The most common strategy to encourage smoking cessation care was to include a specific section on the patient file to denote their status as a smoker (approximately 33%). Respondents indicated that smoking cessation care was clinically appropriate; yet most reported that they lacked skills to deliver such care. Conclusions: Although respondents acknowledged the importance of smoking cessation care, its delivery was low, particularly when patients were referred to follow-up care and across outpatient settings. The limited delivery of smoking cessation care might reflect inadequate resources, including training and time. These findings collectively suggest the importance of a multimethod approach to promote smoking cessation care that addresses the needs of individual clinicians and the services they are affiliated with. Translational Aspect: This research examines the capacity of oncology units to implement smoking cessation care routinely and as such is T3 translation research.