Essay Sample on Importance of Screening for Cigarette Smoking

According to Park et al. (2015), screening for cigarette smoking alongside offering cessation intervention in the primary care setting has significant benefits in contemporary society. First, screening serves as the best strategy for finding the medical conditions associated with smoking, such as lung cancer, in their early stages. Secondly, screening helps in the identification of potential medical diseases when the available treatments are still feasible, easy to administer, and less expensive (Boucher & Konkle, 2016). Lastly, screening and cessation interventions can not only find but also help in the effective prevention of life-threatening events associated with cigarette smoking, including cancers and diabetes.

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Strategies for Bridging the Gap in Screening and Cessation Interventions

Different practice changes can play a vital role in bridging a gap between screening for cigarette smoking and providing cessation interventions (Boucher & Konkle, 2016). First, health practitioners should create awareness through community outreach programs targeting cigarette smokers to encourage them to participate in screening and utilizing available cessation interventions. Secondly, collaboration between various stakeholders, including the community and healthcare providers is crucial in sensitizing and educating smokers on the benefits of seeking for screening services and deploying appropriate cessation interventions (Park et al., 2015). Lastly, there is a need to conduct continuous research to understand and address the challenges that prevent smokers from seeking screening as well as cessation intervention services.

Effects of Cigarette Smoking and Strategies for Improving Screening and Cessation Interventions

According to Boucher and Konkle (2016), cigarette smoking has a myriad of effects on adults with chronic diseases. First, cigarette smoking can worsen the condition of chronic illness under treatment among adults. Studies indicate that smoking cigarettes can exacerbate the overall effects of chronic diseases among adults. Secondly, increased smoking can lead to the development of more chronic conditions, including lung cancer, stroke, and cataracts. Therefore, adult patients diagnosed from one chronic condition should cease smoking to attain good health. Thirdly, smoking cigarettes can put a significant financial burden on adults with chronic diseases, which may, in turn, culminate in suicidal thoughts and tendencies if the patient cannot meet those costs (Campos et al., 2014). Lastly, smoking cigarettes can be a crucial reason behind adults' failure to strictly adhere to the available treatment options.

As a result, primary care providers can use various strategies to improve the screening for cigarette smoking and offering cessation intervention (Park et al., 2015). First, these practitioners should sensitize and educate the community on the significance of going for screening and utilizing cessation interventions. Secondly, primary care providers should conduct outreach programs through continuous community health services to create awareness about the existence of screening services. Thirdly, it is critical to hire adequate volunteers to help in the identification of potential smokers and motivate them to attend screening services and utilize the available cessation interventions (Campos et al., 2014). Lastly, primary care providers should provide incentives for these volunteers and targeted smokers to motivate them to empower others to utilize the available interventions.

References

Boucher, J. & Konkle, A.T.M. (2016). Understanding inequalities of maternal smoking: Bridging the gap with adapted intervention strategies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(3), 282.Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808945/.

Campos, T.D.S., Richter, K.P., Cupertino, A.P., Galil, A.G.S., Banhato, E.F.S., Colugnati, F.A.B., & Batos, M. G. (2014). Cigarette smoking among patients with chronic diseases. International Journal of Cardiology, 174(3): 808-810. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4568820/.

Park, E. R., Gareen, I. F., Japuntich, S., Lennes, I., Hyland, K., DeMello, S., Sicks, J.D., & Rigotti, N.A. (2015). Primary care provider-delivered smoking cessation interventions and smoking cessation among participants in the national lung screening trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(9), 1509-1516. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5089370/.