Skip to main content

Table 2 Non-teachable moment responses to providers’ inquiries about smoking

From: Teachable moments and missed opportunities for smoking cessation counseling in a hospital emergency department: a mixed-methods study of patient-provider communication

Type of response

Example

Non-smoker: no response

N: Ok. Are you a smoker?*

P: Am I a smoker? No. I’ve been clean since, August it will be four years.

N: Ok. So you quit smoking four years ago? Ok any alcohol or drugs?

P: No drugs.

Non-smoker: positive reinforcement

N: Do you smoke?

P: No.

N: Ok.

P: Quit that two years ago and five months and [twenty-six days.

N: [Good f-

N: Good for you! That’s great!

Smoker: no commentary

D: Do you smoke?

P: Yes. Half a [pack a day.

D: [How much?

D: Half a pack a day. Do you drink alcohol?

P: Occasionally.

Smoker: social commentary

N: Any drugs?

P: No ma’am.

N: Any not-

P: Tobacco. I guess they consider that a drug. […]

N: You work in tobacco?

P: Hum? Yeah. [I do that. I do that. And I do landscaping.

N: [Tobacco? Ok.

P: I do basically landscaping. But it is tobacco season, so I am out there helping.

N: Do you get a discount?

P: Hum? Uh no [it don’t work like that.

N: [Do you get a discount?

N: It doesn’t work like that. ((Both laugh))

  1. *See Appendix for transcription conventions.