Provision of Eye Care Provider Smoking Cessation Advice to Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

INTRODUCTION: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe and irreversible vision loss in the United States. Smoking is one of the few modifiable AMD risk factors for disease progression. We examine patient and provider reports of smoking cessation advice in this patient population.

METHODS: In June 2009, 52 AMD patients at a large academic medical center completed an anonymous questionnaire in English and Spanish assessing smoking history and history of quit attempts. Forty-six eye care providers at the same facility completed an anonymous electronic questionnaire asking about their smoking cessation counseling practices.

RESULTS: Seventeen percent of AMD patients were smokers who, on average, visited an ophthalmologist 5 times per year. Nearly 90% reported “never” being advised to quit by their ocular eye care provider. Sixty percent of eye care providers indicated that they ascertain smoking status during patient examinations, and 48% assessed patient willingness to quit. Most eye care providers indicated they wanted additional patient smoking cessation materials and/or the ability to refer their patients to effective smoking cessation programs

CONCLUSION: Findings from the present pilot study suggest a desire on the part of eye care providers to do more for their smoking patients. Tailored smoking cessation programs are therefore needed for this unique patient population, yet to date, there has been little development of such programs.