Smoking cessation counsellors and healthcare professionals are an important source of information on the health effects of smoking and help in smoking cessation. Electronic cigarettes are a newer product, the effects of their long-term use on health are not yet known. Currently research does not confirm that they are effective in smoking cessation. The aim of this paper is to review the existing literature on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding electronic cigarettes among smoking cessation counsellors and healthcare professionals. Results show, that knowledge about electronic cigarettes is insufficient, and attitudes and beliefs about them are diverse and often inconsistent with existing evidence. Despite a lack of evidence, a substantial proportion of healthcare professionals recommend them for smoking cessation. It is crucial to provide uniform and evidence-based information and counselling to patients about electronic cigarettes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4416997
Introduction. Electronic cigarettes (ECs) have generated extensive discussion about their role in smoking cessation. The Slovenia National Institute of Public Health’s recommendations state that ECs are not to be recommended for smoking cessation or reduction. The aim of this study was to explore how healthcare professionals working in the field of preventive healthcare and smoking cessation in Slovenia communicate with and counsel patients regarding EC and smoking cessation or reduction. Methods. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among healthcare professionals working in the field of preventive healthcare and smoking cessation in Slovenia. A total of 479 healthcare professionals were included in the analysis. Results. While a minority of participants (12.7%) do or would recommend EC for smoking cessation or reduction in general, a higher proportion of participants (33.1%) would recommend EC to specific groups of patients. Knowledge on EC was the key determinant of differences in recommendations. Only a minority of participants (9.1%) reported availability of workplace guidelines/recommendations regarding counselling about EC. Conclusions. Training programmes, educational materials and existing guidelines/recommendations regarding counselling about EC use should be provided and distributed among healthcare professionals, together with efforts to ensure compliance to official guidelines/recommendations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4700133
This scientific monograph presents attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and some practices regarding EC among healthcare professionals working in the field of preventive healthcare and smoking cessation in Slovenia, and is based on the first study of this kind in Slovenia. These groups of healthcare professionals were chosen as they are the most common source of information on smoking and smoking cessation, which also makes them the most important contact group for EC. In this cross-sectional study we found that only around half of respondents in these groups of healthcare professionals have ever asked a patient about EC use and routine checking for EC use is rare. Around a third of respondents received queries on EC from their patients and the most frequent topics were EC safety/harmfulness, effectiveness in smoking cessation and aerosol content.
COBISS.SI-ID: 304271616
This scientific monograph presents attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and some practices regarding EC among healthcare professionals working in the field of preventive healthcare and smoking cessation in Slovenia, and is based on the first study of this kind in Slovenia. These groups of healthcare professionals were chosen as they are the most common source of information on smoking and smoking cessation, which also makes them the most important contact group for EC. In this cross-sectional study we found that only around half of respondents in these groups of healthcare professionals have ever asked a patient about EC use and routine checking for EC use is rare. Around a third of respondents received queries on EC from their patients and the most frequent topics were EC safety/harmfulness, effectiveness in smoking cessation and aerosol content.
COBISS.SI-ID: 304269824
Electronic cigarettes (EC) are a novel group of highly diversified, rapidly changing nicotine delivery products. The effects of their long-term use have not yet been studied and are not known, but when using EC, an individual is exposed to significant amounts of harmful substances. Of particular concern is the presence of carcinogens and irritants such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, various flavouring chemicals for which we have no data about health effects at long-term use and high levels of small particles. Specific changes occur in the tissues of different organs that could lead to many diseases. The use of EC therefore poses a health risk. ECs are often considered to be a smoking cessation aid, but there is insufficient evidence available, so we do not recommend EC for smoking cessation. Smokers who wish to quit smoking are advised to use licensed smoking cessation treatments (nicotine replacement therapy or prescription medications). Healthcare professionals are an important source of information about EC for their patients, so they need to know the key facts about them to advise and answer patients’ questions based on evidence from research without conflict of interest.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4700389