Healthcare professional student integration into inpatient smoking cessation programs
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Smoking cessation counseling is an important aspect of preventative care in the United States, as smoking has numerous detrimental effects on health. Many hospital systems, such as Boston Medical Center, have begun to integrate programs in the inpatient setting to help with helping admitted patients to quit smoking. This thesis examines the current state of smoking cessation in the United States, especially with focus on the inpatient setting, as well as explores the current smoking cessation education in healthcare professional programs and related student interventions. This thesis reviewed numerous inpatient smoking cessation programs and identified areas for improvement, including the volume of patients counseled, and identified students as an untapped potential resource for helping to increase the number of patients that can be counseled. A study proposed will integrate Boston University Physician Assistant students into Boston Medical Center’s inpatient smoking cessation programs, and investigate whether hands-on experience with counseling patients leads to improved confidence and knowledge for students. The intervention will consist of interactive lectures about smoking cessation and available pharmacotherapy, followed by small group discussions, and finally opportunities to counsel patients in the inpatient setting. Study variables and measures will include comparison of pre- and post-test scores, as well as self-reported confidence scores before and after the intervention. This study will provide important information for educators about whether hands-on experience in smoking cessation counseling can better prepare healthcare professional students for clinical practice. Additionally, future studies are needed to further build on this framework and explore if students can help to expand volumes of patients counseled in the inpatient setting.
Description
2024