Tag Archives: smoking cessation

Standardized, virtual patient, and other role-play-based learning approaches for smoking cessation counseling in health care education: A scoping review protocol

Valentin Nădășan1, Corina Eugenia Budin2, Florin Stoica-Buracinschi3, Ștefan-Marius Mărușteri3, László-Barna Iantovics4,5

1. Department of Hygiene, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
2. Department of Pathophysiology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
3. Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
4. Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
5. Research Center on Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Smart Engineering (ARTEMIS), George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2025-0035

Smoking cessation counseling is a critical component of healthcare education, yet the effectiveness of different role-play-based learning approaches remains insufficiently investigated. The objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the existing evidence on the use of role-play-based learning approaches—including standardized patients, virtual patients, and other simulation methods—for training healthcare students and professionals in smoking cessation counseling.
The review will follow the methodology for scoping reviews. Searches will be conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, IEEE Xplore for peer-reviewed English-language articles involving healthcare students or professionals, role-play-based learning approaches addressing tobacco cessation. Two reviewers will independently screen and chart the data.
Findings will be presented through summary tables outlining intervention characteristics, target populations, educational settings, and outcomes, complemented by narrative descriptions highlighting key benefits, limitations, and implementation factors. Additionally, thematic mapping will be used to synthesize insights relevant to the development of virtual patient applications. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.

Keywords: , , , , , ,
Full text: PDF

Dental Students’ Tobacco Smoking Habits, Second-hand Smoke Exposure, and Training in Cessation Counselling at the University of Medicine Pharmacy Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș

Márta Germán-Salló1, Zoltan Preg1, Dalma Bálint Szentendrey1, Enikő Nemes-Nagy1, Mihály Imre László1, Zita Fazakas1, Edith Simona Ianosi1, Pál István Kikeli2, Zoltán Ábrám1, Péter Balázs3

1. University of Medicine Pharmacy Sciences and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
2. Procardia Medical Unit, Targu Mures, Romania
3. Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2019-0006

Objectives: To describe tobacco smoking habits, attitudes, second-hand smoke exposure, and training in cessation counseling at the University of Medicine Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu-Mureș (UMPSTTM), as baseline data for the first Romanian university to implement a Smoke-Free University Project.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered in 2014 among dental students at UMPSTTM to explore their smoking habits, attitudes toward smoking and tobacco control policies, exposure to second-hand smoke, interest in quitting, and their knowledge about cessation counseling. We used core questions of the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) and added specific items related to the Smoke-Free University Project. Data were analyzed by SPSS v22 software. We compared our results with those of the GHPSS Survey.
Results: 581 dental students, 73.1% of the target population (n=795), completed the questionnaire. 38.7% were current smokers. Approximately 1 in 5 (22.6%) current smokers admitted smoking inside university buildings, although 80.7% were aware of the smoking ban. 44.2% of current smokers plan to quit smoking. Nearly half of the students (48.9%) were exposed to second-hand smoke in their current homes, 78.1% in public places and 33.3% inside the university buildings. Only 21.0% of all participants received any formal training on how to help future patients quit.
Conclusions: Tobacco use prevalence was higher among future dentists than in the majority of respondents to the GHPSS. Changes in dental school education are needed to promote personal smoking cessation, as well as to educate dentists on how to support their future patients quitting.

Keywords: , , ,
Full text: PDF

Smoking Related Habits and Attitudes of Dental Students

Benedek (Bukhari) Csilla1, Kerekes-Máthé Bernadette2, Borș Andreea2, Kovács Mónika1, Pop M1, Fazakas Zita3, Székely Melinda2

1 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 Department of Morphology of Teeth and Dental Arches, Technology of Dental Prosthesis and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
3 Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

Objective: It has been established that smoking causes four million deaths each year worldwide. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the students’ smoking habits and their attitude towards smoking cessation.
Methods: The survey conducted in 2011 was based on a questionnaire filled in anonymously by dental students from each year of study at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Tîrgu Mureș. Six-hundred ninety-two students (454 female, 238 male) aged 18 to 30+ years were questioned. The statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney test.
Results: 35.25% of the participants were smoking. Statistically significant differences could not be observed in gender distribution of the smokers group (p=0.728). The majority of subjects were smoking less than one cigarette/day, however significant differences were found in student’s smoking habits (p=0.006). 38.11% of the smokers have already tried to quit smoking more than five times without success and 32.37% never tried to quit smoking in the last year. 94% of the participants agreed that both the active and the passive smoking is harmful for the general health. The dental students explained very rarely the risks of tobacco smoking to their smoking patients: 30.78% ignored it and 15.17% of students did not respond this question.
Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking was high in the surveyed students, however the majority of the smokers had tried to quit smoking. The results call for relevant educational measures for smoking prevention and cessation.

Keywords: , , ,
Full text: PDF