Table 2.
Recommendations for developing a smoking cessation program, by group.
| Group | Themes (# of times participants mentioned them) |
Illustrative Quotations | Participant Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| GYN center patients (n=13) | Need for patient-based, individualized approaches to smoking cessation (n=4) | I just think seeing older people who have actually really suffered from smoking. That’s what really kind of got me to quit. It was some real life stories. I clean for a lady who can’t even walk up a half a flight of steps and she has emphysema directly related to smoking and it’s not worth it. | Former smoker with cervical dysplasia |
| Address level of readiness for change (n=4) | No, everybody tells you that you’ve got to quit smoking. When I was diagnosed with the cancer was the kicker. That was the reason. | Former smoker, past history of cervical dysplasia and vulvar cancer | |
| Address social influences on smoking, such as other smokers in the family, friends and partying (n=3) | It was a lot of things…either habit when I was driving, when I was with other friends that smoked or when I was out drinking that I smoked the most. | Former smoker with cervical dysplasia | |
| Provide assistance and guidance to initiate cessation support in spite of social stresses (n=4) | Half an hour of interview on the phone and a little counseling thrown in there too. They gave like little tips on how to quit smoking, how to cut back on smoking, ideas on how to help you beat the habit. | Former smoker with no history of cervical dysplasia | |
| Mobile phone not an optimal platform for all patients due to cost, privacy concerns and shared phone plans (n=3) | For me personally, I probably would ignore them [text messages]. I get a lot of messages like that from my phone company and I just delete them because some people are like…oh, I have to pay for text messages… | Smoker with cervical dysplasia | |
| Automated voice response system not optimal for cessation program due to user fatigue (n=6) | It would probably become annoying after a while. | Former smoker with cervical dysplasia | |
| WHC nurses and office staff (n=10) | Patient readiness (n=10) | I think a patient has to be ready to change. If they are then I think there are a lot of good resources out there for them. | Non smoker |
| Personalization to patients’ specific circumstances (n=4) | A great program and I’ve seen it done in a couple of different ways is if you have something where they can get some type of text message reminder alerts that are quick tips. You know, I think that that’s encouraging. I’ve seen it effective for prenatal care. | Current smoker | |
| Create buy-in from different types of providers to capitalize on different relationships patients have with various office staff (n=3) | A lot of times when a client sees a common person, somebody who’s not up here, but just as equal as they are, they are more receptive to receive it | Non smoker | |
| Referral to New York State Smoker’s Quit line or primary care physician for cessation support (n=6) | As long as we give them a good link, if they prove they are really ready and they need this…it’s up to the person. | Non smoker |