Knowledge and Perceptions about Nicotine, Nicotine Replacement Therapies and Electronic Cigarettes among Healthcare Professionals in Greece

Introduction: This article presents the results of a study evaluating the knowledge and perceptions of Greek healthcare professionals about nicotine, nicotine replacement therapies, and electronic cigarettes. The study found that healthcare professionals had a significant knowledge deficit about nicotine, nicotine replacement therapies, and electronic cigarettes, which could have negative implications for providing appropriate and reliable counseling to smokers.

Key Points:

* The study surveyed 262 healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses, working in private and public healthcare sectors in Athens-Greece.
* Healthcare professionals had daily contact with smokers in their working environment, but many considered nicotine to have an extremely or very important contribution to smoking-related disease.
* Many healthcare professionals overestimated the addiction potential and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapies and electronic cigarettes.
* Healthcare professionals had poor knowledge about the function and characteristics of electronic cigarettes, with many believing they contain tobacco and involve combustion.
* Healthcare professionals were reluctant to recommend electronic cigarettes to smokers unwilling or unable to quit smoking with currently approved medications.
* Cardiologists and respiratory physicians, who are responsible for smoking cessation therapy in Greece, were even more reluctant to recommend electronic cigarettes to this subpopulation of smokers.
* The knowledge score of the whole study sample was 7.7 (SD: 2.4) out of a maximum score of 16.

Main Message: Greek healthcare professionals have a significant knowledge deficit about nicotine, nicotine replacement therapies, and electronic cigarettes, which could negatively impact their ability to provide appropriate and reliable counseling to smokers. Improved education and training about these products are necessary to ensure that healthcare professionals can provide accurate information and support to smokers who are trying to quit.

Moysidou, Anastasia, Konstantinos Farsalinos, Vassilis Voudris, Kyriakoula Merakou, Kallirrhoe Kourea, and Anastasia Barbouni. “Knowledge and Perceptions about Nicotine, Nicotine Replacement Therapies and Electronic Cigarettes among Healthcare Professionals in Greece.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 5 (May 20, 2016): 514. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13050514.