Application of the principles of minimum intervention by primary health care doctors--evaluation by patients addicted to nicotine

• Published in: Przeglad lekarski Vol. 61; no. 10; p. 1177
• Main Authors: Targowski, Tomasz, Rozyińska, Renata, From, Sławomir, Mierzejewska, Justyna, Grabowska, Patrycja, Przekora, Wojciech
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Poland 2004
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Health Education - methods; Health Education - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Poland; Primary Health Care - methods; Primary Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Smoking Cessation - methods; Smoking Cessation - statistics & numerical data; Poland
• ISSN: 0033-2240

The aim of the study was to analyze to what extend the principles of minimum intervention are applied by basic health care doctors in Mazovia. The study comprised 326 tobacco smokers, divided into two groups: group I--including 160 adults living in towns with a population below 10000 and group II--including 166 inhabitants of towns with a population above 100000. Each subject had their tobacco dependence rate (the Fagerström test) and the period of smoking (pack-years) calculated. Each subject evaluated application of the minimum intervention principles by their basic health care doctor anonymously. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. The study groups did not differ in terms of nicotine addiction rate. It was found that almost half of the patients smoking tobacco had never been asked by their doctor about smoking habit during consultation. An educational material concerning the harmfulness of smoking is received by every seventh smoker, and an attempt of a pharmacological therapy of addiction is undertaken only in every tenth patient. The minimum medical intervention principles in tobacco smokers are twice more often applied by basic health care doctors working in small towns.