Joseph Ojedokun, Sarah Keane and Kieran O?Connor
Background presenting lung age data to smokers who were invited for a formal spirometry has been shown to increase quit rate at 12 months. Main Objective Here, we evaluate the effect of informing active smokers of their lung age using a portable Vitalograph during routine GP consultations on smoking cessation intentions and quit behavior. Methods Four hundred and two active smokers from 5 General Practices had their smoking behaviors and stages on Prochaska’s wheel of change (WOC) evaluated before consultation. Patients randomized to the control arm received standardized smoking cessation advice during routine consultations. Patients in the intervention arm received, in addition, lung age information derived from a portable Vitalograph. Self-reported quit rates and progression on the WOC were assessed at 4 weeks post-intervention. Results Quit rates at 4 weeks in the control and intervention arms respectively were 12.0% and 22.1% (difference 10.1%, p=0.01, 95% CI 1.5% to 18.7%; number needed to treat 10). Net positive progression on the WOC in the control and intervention arms respectively were 7.3% and 29.1% (difference 21.8%, p=0.02, 95% CI 13.2% to 30.4%; number needed to treat 4.6). Smokers with poorer lung age values were just as likely to quit as those with normal lung ages. Smokers in the intervention group were more likely to request pharmacotherapy to support quitting (p<0.0001). Conclusion When promoting smoking cessation during clinical consultations, providing ‘lung age’ biofeedback to patients using a Vitalograph is a clinically effective intervention to foster quitting and positive intentions towards quitting.
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