Table 2 The impact of the new subsidization policy to smoking cessation services

 Increase in the number of smoking cessation patients

58

(9.6)

31

(5.1)

516

(85.3)

 Increase in follow-up visits of smoking cessation patients

206

(34.0)

147

(24.3)

252

(41.6)

 Increase in patients’ willingness to adopt pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation

145

(24.0)

127

(21.0)

333

(55.0)

 Increase in the number of smoking cessation patients referred by other patients

173

(28.6)

175

(28.9)

256

(42.4)

 Increase in patients’ abstinence rate

129

(21.3)

176

(29.1)

299

(49.6)

 The new policy encourages more patients to quit smoking

113

(18.7)

130

(21.5)

362

(59.8)

 The new policy helps me to prescribe smoking cessation medications

71

(11.7)

112

(18.5)

422

(69.8)

 The new policy improves patients’ adherence to medications

116

(19.2)

173

(28.6)

315

(52.1)

 The new policy improves quality of care

87

(14.4)

176

(29.1)

341

(56.5)

 Overall, the new policy is an improvement over the previous policy

87

(14.4)

143

(23.6)

375

(61.9)

 Difficulties in providing services to inpatients and emergency room patients

77

(12.7)

304

(50.2)

222

(36.8)

 Difficulties in tracking the abstinence rate of the patients

161

(26.6)

203

(33.6)

240

(39.8)

 Difficulties in reimbursement and case report processes

162

(26.8)

270

(44.6)

172

(28.4)

 Difficulties in applying for case management fees

138

(22.8)

265

(43.8)

201

(33.2)

 Difficulties in using the information system

182

(30.1)

277

(45.8)

145

(24.0)

 Increase in asking patients’ tobacco use status

85

(14.1)

245

(40.5)

274

(45.4)

 Increase in advising patients to quit smoking

81

(13.4)

230

(38.0)

293

(48.5)

 Increase in assessing patients’ willingness to quit

88

(14.5)

225

(37.2)

291

(48.2)

 Increase in assisting patients to quit smoking

116

(19.2)

194

(32.1)

294

(48.7)

 Increase in arranging follow-up visits

97

(16.0)

240

(39.7)

267

(44.2)