Seizing the moment: the role of general practice in providing smoking cessation care

The aim of this dissertation was to improve smoking cessation care in Dutch general practice. The researchers developed the Very Brief Advice Plus (VBA+), a brief intervention that healthcare providers can use to provide quit advice to patients who smoke and to proactively refer patients to professional help for quitting smoking. This method ensures that more patients receive professional help during a quit attempt (and thus eventually quit smoking). To implement VBA+ in general practice, a strategy was developed, consisting of two meetings in which healthcare providers made agreements about VBA+ and reflected on the agreements. Healthcare providers have also been introduced to cessation counseling options in the region. The strategy had a positive effect on the implementation of the VBA+: healthcare providers more often asked patients about smoking, and more healthcare providers proactively referred their patients to professional help for quitting smoking. These findings were even demonstrated during the stressful COVID-19 pandemic. However, GPs in particular continue to need additional support to routinely implement VBA+.