Objectives:
Smoking is particularly harmful to patients with rheumatic diseases, hence rheumatologists’ essential role is to actively support them in quitting. The rise in smoking rates in Poland calls for the appropriate measures. The rationale for this study was to assess feasibility and provide initial understanding as a framework for a future study on the factors determining rheumatologists’ attitudes towards assisting patients to cease smoking.

Material and methods:
This cross-sectional survey was conducted among physician staff in the rheumatology wards and outpatient clinic of a national reference centre in Poland. The questionnaire addressed attitudes and practices regarding smoking cessation support, with reference to the respondents’ own approach and their perception of other rheumatologists.

Results:
The study obtained 33 questionnaires. All respondents considered nicotine addiction and its management important and to be addressed in clinical practice. Physicians only consider the harm caused by smoking to be an area in which they have sufficient knowledge to provide professional counseling to patients, as opposed to the practical aspects of support. Prescription medication, psychological support and nicotine replacement therapy are the declared preferred methods to advise, whilst the proportion of doctors who actually make these recommendations to their patients did not vary significantly from 50%. The main obstacles identified when encouraging patients to give up smoking were a lack of time to address the issue and patients’ resistance. In the study significant differences depending on the respondents’ age and gender were observed.

Conclusions:
Physicians are aware of key theoretical concepts and importance of supporting patients in their efforts to stop smoking, but lack practical knowledge and skills required to act effectively. Significant differences depending on the respondents’ age and gender justify a stratified analyses in the intended study. The findings confirmed the feasibility and relevance of undertaking a full-scale study with stratified analyses based on at least age and gender of the physicians.