Medical Residents’ and Practicing Physicians’ e-Cigarette Knowledge and Patient Screening Activities: Do They Differ?

Introduction:
This text discusses a pilot study that compares the knowledge and beliefs about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) between medical residents and practicing physicians in primary care specialties. The study aimed to determine if years removed from medical school had an effect on screening practices, recommendations given to patients, and the types of informational sources utilized.

Key Points:

* The study used a statewide sample of Florida primary care medical residents and practicing physicians.
* Participants completed an online or paper survey measuring patient screening and physician recommendations, beliefs, and knowledge related to e-cigarettes.
* Practicing physicians were more likely than medical residents to believe e-cigarettes lower cancer risk in patients who use them as an alternative to cigarettes.
* Medical residents were more likely to receive information about e-cigarettes from colleagues.
* No statistically significant differences were observed related to e-cigarette knowledge or patient recommendations.
* The study suggests that targeted education concerning the potential health risks and benefits associated with e-cigarettes needs to be included in medical education curriculum and medical provider training.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that practicing primary care physicians are more accepting of both the benefits and costs associated with e-cigarettes, while medical residents in primary care are more reticent. This finding suggests an important area of inquiry, specifically how providers counsel patients concerning the use of e-cigarettes, and how that counsel changes with patient demographics and where they are receiving their patient education information. The study highlights the need for improving provider confidence in discussing issues surrounding the use of e-cigarettes in medical education curriculum and medical provider training.

Geletko, Karen W., Karen Myers, Naomi Brownstein, Breanna Jameson, Daniel Lopez, Alaine Sharpe, and Gail R. Bellamy. “Medical Residents’ and Practicing Physicians’ e-Cigarette Knowledge and Patient Screening Activities: Do They Differ?” Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology 3 (January 1, 2016): 233339281667849. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392816678493.