Tobacco Use by Physicians in a Physician Health Program, Implications for Treatment and Monitoring

The use of tobacco by physicians with substance abuse histories is drastically understudied. A chart review of 1319 physicians enrolled in a physician health program found tobacco use highest for those referred for substance abuse problems (58.1%). Among a subset of currently monitored substance abu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal on addictions 2009-03, Vol.18 (2), p.103-108
Main Authors: Stuyt, Elizabeth B., Gundersen, Doris C., Shore, Jay H., Brooks, Elizabeth, Gendel, Michael H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Doctors
Female
Health education
Humans
Learning
Male
Medicine
Middle Aged
Occupational Health Services
Physician Impairment
Pilot Projects
Retrospective Studies
Secondary Prevention
Smoking - epidemiology
Specialization
Substance abuse
Substance Abuse Detection
Substance-Related Disorders - complications
Substance-Related Disorders - therapy
Tobacco
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Description
Summary:The use of tobacco by physicians with substance abuse histories is drastically understudied. A chart review of 1319 physicians enrolled in a physician health program found tobacco use highest for those referred for substance abuse problems (58.1%). Among a subset of currently monitored substance abusers, all those who relapsed during monitoring were using tobacco and had more difficulty maintaining sobriety following initial treatment (p = 0.0137) than non tobacco users. Because tobacco was a risk factor for relapse, reasons why physician health programs should address its use and treatment facilities should establish tobacco-free environments to provide optimum learning and recovery are explored.
ISSN:1055-0496
1521-0391
DOI:10.1080/10550490902773015