Physician Advice for e-Cigarette Use

Purpose: to determine characteristics of smokers discussing e-cigarette use with their physician and receiving recommendations from their physician to use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. methods: us adult smokers who had visited a physician in the previous 12 months (n = 2671) were surveyed. logistic generalized estimating equation models were used to assess the characteristics of smokers who (1) talked to a physician about e-cigarettes,and (2) received physician advice to use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. results: 15% (n = 406) of smokers who visited a physician talked with their physician about e-cigarettes. among those asked whether their physician recommend e-cigarettes for smoking cessation (n = 257),61% responded affirmatively. current e-cigarette users were more likely to talk to their physicians about e-cigarettes (nondaily users vs never users: or,2.70; 95% ci,1.79 - 4.05; daily users vs never users: or,4.29; 95% ci,2.34 -7.84) and have their physician recommend e-cigarettes for smoking cessation (daily users vs never users: or,9.40; 95% ci,2.54 -34.71). conclusions: the majority of smokers who talk to their physician about e-cigarettes report that they received advice to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking,despite limited evidence for their efficacy. more studies are needed to better understand e-cigarette recommendations in clinical settings.