Effectiveness of an inpatient smoking cessation program

BACKGROUND: Inpatient smoking cessation may increase the success of quitting smoking post-hospital discharge. METHODS: Using a quasiexperimental study design, use of cessation methods, mortality, self-reported abstinence, and quit status 6 months post–hospital discharge were measured to assess the effectiveness of an inpatient smoking cessation program. Subjects were interviewed by telephone 6 months post-hospital discharge. Outcomes for patients who were seen by the inpatient smoking cessation counselor were compared to consecutive patients who were not seen by the counselor. Electronic medical records (EMRs) and administrative data were used to construct baseline measures, comorbidity covariates, pharmaceutical use rates during hospitalization, readmission, and mortality outcomes. Multivariate methods included logistic regression and survival analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, the study groups varied by mean age, length of stay (LOS), comorbidity index, cardiovascular diagnosis, and acuity. At 6 months post–hospital discharge, the intent to treat estimate for point prevalence abstinence was 16% in the intervention group compared to 10% in the comparison group (P = 0.02) while self-reported quit status in the intervention group was 44% vs. 30% in the comparison group (P = 0.00). The intervention group used more nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) than the comparison group both in-hospital and following discharge. Crude post–hospital discharge mortality was significantly less in the intervention group (0.02) than in the comparison group (0.04). A multivariate survival model, controlling for baseline imbalances, showed a significantly reduced mortality in the intervention group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Inpatient smoking cessation programs effectively improve quit outcomes, NRT use, and mortality post–hospital discharge. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.