Motivation zur Raucherentwöhnung - Chancen während der stationären Behandlung? Motivation for Smoking Cessation - Is There a Chance for Hospitalized Patients?

Purpose: In the Medical Department 3 of the Klinikum Nuremberg, a pilot study has been conducted to evaluate long term effects of an individual counseling program for smoking cessation for hospitalized patients. Methods: All patients, who had participated in an individual counseling program for smoking cessation were asked for their smoking habits at discharge from the hospital and 3 and 12 months later by telefone calls. The investigators were instructed not to influence the patients. Results: At discharge, 79% of all patients, who had been adviced for smoking cessation, had quitted smoking. After 3 months 40% of the patients remained non-smoking, after 12 months there were still 33% free of smoking. Conclusions: Besides the methodological limitations of this pilot study, our results confirm the usefullness and the necessacity of an individual counseling program for smoking cessation in a general hospital.