A brief smoking cessation intervention for adults in hospital was cost effective
Question Is an in hospital smoking cessation programme for a general population of adult patients cost effective?
Design
Cost effectiveness analysis from the perspective of the implementing hospital, using data from a controlled trial with follow up at 12 months.
Setting
Two 200 bed hospitals managed by Kaiser Permanente Northwest health maintenance organisation in Oregon and Washington, USA.
Patients
1119 patients ≥18 years of age (mean age 44 y, 62% women)* who reported smoking regularly in the previous 3 months. Patients with a hospital stay <36 hours as well as those who were postpartum, admitted for substance abuse, or receiving hospice care were excluded.
Intervention
453 patients were allocated to the intervention and were offered 20 minutes of bedside counselling with an experienced counsellor, a 12 minute video, self help materials, and 1–2 follow up telephone calls after discharge*. 666 …
