Perspectives on an Intensive Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention in Relation to Transurethral Resection of the Bladder Tumour (TURBT): Interviews with Patients, Relatives, and Clinicians

Smoking is a major risk factor for bladder cancer and postoperative complications. Therefore, urological guidelines strongly recommend smoking cessation. Notwithstanding, many patients continue to smoke beyond the time of diagnosis. By using the qualitative methodology, this study aimed to explore barriers, facilitators, and recommendations related to the intensive smoking cessation Gold Standard Programme (GSP) from the multi-perspective view of patients treated with transurethral resection of the bladder tumour (TURBT), their relatives, and clinicians. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with eight patients, four relatives, and six clinicians in the urology setting. Data were analysed using the Framework Method. All participants perceived the GSP positively. Across the three groups, five categories emerged describing barriers and facilitators: perceptions of the GSP, pragmatic factors, health-related factors, psychological factors, and relational and communicative factors. Similarly, recommendations were represented in two categories: the GSP and pragmatic factors. While facilitators were relatively similar across the three groups, barriers were dissimilar or contradictory. The clinicians expressed the most challenges related to relational and communicative factors. The patients mainly had recommendations related to the GSP, while the clinicians’ recommendations focused on pragmatic factors for conducting the GSP. The potential involvement of relatives needs to be further investigated.