Qualitative study investigating the process of giving anti-smoking advice in general practice. Patient education and counseling. [Patient Educ Couns] Journal article

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.

Patient education and counseling. [Patient Educ Couns]

Attitude of Health Personnel
Clinical Competence
Family Practice
Great Britain
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Motivation
Patient Education
Physician's Practice Patterns
Physician's Role
Physicians, Family
Qualitative Research
Questionnaires
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Smoking
Smoking Cessation
Videotape Recording