A Survey of Healthcare Providers’ Attitudes and Knowledge on E-cigarettes Based On Evidence-Based Practice

Introduction The current research and regulatory environment surrounding e-cigarettes has left patients without reliable information and advice. However, patients are increasingly asking healthcare providers about e-cigarettes, as well as about methods for cessation from combustible cigarettes. Further, the advice patients receive from healthcare providers influences their perceptions and behaviors with regards to e-cigarettes. Healthcare providers need better training opportunities to update their knowledge about the current evidence on e-cigarettes. However, dissemination of evidence-based practices faces many barriers. Therefore, it is important to determine the current knowledge and attitudes about e-cigarettes, devise methods to disseminate evidence regarding e-cigarettes, and evaluate these methods to ensure the healthcare providers are indeed updating their knowledge and attitudes to reflect the evidence base. Methods This study utilized a pre-test post-test design with a brief educational module about the current state of e-cigarettes serving as an intervention. Knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding e-cigarettes were assessed, and demographic information were collected. Quantitative analysis sought to establish relationships between these domains and demographics. Results Despite having limited knowledge about the current state of e-cigarette evidence at pre-test, participants were able to significantly improve their knowledge from pre-test to post-test after an intervention of a brief educational module (p \u3c .001). These results were largely consistent across demographics. Participants were also able to significantly improve their self-efficacy when disseminating information about e-cigarettes between pre-test and post-test (p The current attitudes toward e-cigarettes trended toward negative. These attitudes did not change significantly between pre-test and post-test (p = .162), indicating that healthcare providers are able to update their knowledge and self-efficacy regarding e-cigarettes despite the attitudes they hold about e-cigarettes. These results were also largely consistent across demographics. Discussion Healthcare providers need the opportunity to receive updated training about the current evidence regarding e-cigarettes. Professional associations and/or healthcare systems provide an ideal platform for this information. Given this opportunity, it may be possible to improve the healthcare providers’ knowledge and self-efficacy in this area