Cardiology Rx for Change: Improving Clinical Attention to Tobacco Use and Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Cardiology

AbstractBackground:Heart disease is the leading cause of tobacco‐related death in smokers and of deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in nonsmokers. This study centers on the development and evaluation of an evidence‐based model curriculum for improving clinical attention to tobacco use and SHS exposure in cardiology.Hypothesis:We hypothesized that the curriculum would be associated with improvements in clinician tobacco‐related knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and counseling behaviors from pre‐to post‐training and at the 3‐month follow‐up.Methods:The 1‐hour Cardiology Rx for Change curriculum was evaluated with 22 cardiology fellows and 77 medical residents with consistent training effects observed between the 2 groups.Results:Trainees' tobacco treatment knowledge increased significantly from pre‐ to post‐training (t[81] = 6.51, P<0.001), and perceived barriers to providing cessation treatment decreased significantly (t[81] = −3.97, P<0.001). The changes, however, were not sustained at the 3‐month follow‐up, suggesting the need for booster training efforts. From pretraining to 3‐month follow‐up, the training was associated with significant sustained gains in clinic