Implementing a Smoking Cessation Clinic at a Public Health Center in Korea: Evaluating the Outcomes and the Smokers’ Perceptions

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the outcomes of a smoking cessation clinic at a public health center, in Hwasung city in 2006 and to examine the perceptions of the users regarding the clinic services.

Method: 620 smokers who visited the smoking cessation clinic from January, 2006 to November, 2006 were enrolled. An instrument developed by the researcher was used to collect their perceptions. The instrument comprised 24 questions, on a 5-point Likert scale investigating the clinic services in terms of counseling time, environment, readiness of the counselors, counseling information, campaign method, medication use, and follow-up services. The general characteristics of the participants were collected from the database developed by the Ministry of Health & Welfare. The data were analyzed with frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviation methods.

Results: The outcomes of the smoking cessation clinic in Hwasung city in 2006 showed some limitations in terms of low-income group, female smokers, and young adult smokers.

Conclusion: Strategies for solving these limitations were necessary to increase the effectiveness of the smoking cessation clinic. Clinic services focused on cognitive-behavioral therapy needed to be developed in accordance with chemotherapy.

More effective publicizing campaigns of the clinic services also needed to be developed for more people to know about the clinic. Strategies to increase the accessibility for the people living far from the clinic were also necessary. Assessment of the smokers who did not visit clinic was also recommended in order to determine their intentions, or barriers to visit the clinic.