Learning Objectives: Describe the state of support for smoking cessation interventions in physician organizaitons nationally.
Abstract: Objective: To document the extent to which physician organizations, such as medical groups and IPAs, are providing organizational support for smoking cessation interventions. Additionally, to describe the organizational characteristics associated with physician organization support for smoking cessation interventions.
METHODS: Data from the first national survey of physician organizations (medical groups and IPAs with 20 or more physicians) was used to document physician organization support for smoking cessation interventions.
RESULTS: Overall, 40% of physician organizations offered smoking cessation health promotion programs, 17% required physicians to provide specific interventions, 15% evaluate the degree to which physician provide interventions, 39% provide physicians with written materials on pharmacotherapy, 37% provide physicians with written materials on counseling, 58% provide self-help materials and 25% provide NRT starter kits to distribute to patients. Factors associated with organizational support were: receiving additional income from health plans for scoring well on quality measures, receiving financial incentives from HMOs to promote smoking cessation interventions, being required to report on HEDIS measures, receiving public recognition for scoring well on quality measures, awareness of the 1996 AHCPR guideline on smoking cessation, being a medical group (compared to an IPA), and the number of physicians (larger more likely).
Discussion: As physician organizations have grown in the last decade, their role in the delivery of physician-based smoking cessation interventions needs to be explored. These findings provide a baseline for what physician organizations are doing to treat tobacco dependence in the United States. These findings have implications for health care purchasers, health plans, physician organizations, physicians, and consumers.
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