Expert Consensus Statements on Smoking Cessation Best Practice in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Each year in Saudi Arabia, approximately 70,000 individuals die from smoking-related diseases and there is an urgent need for practical, evidence-based, best-practice guidance on smoking cessation for healthcare professionals in this country. Methods: A working group of six prominent local practitioners from six medical centers and hospitals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia developed a series of consensus statements on current best practice in smoking cessation using available literature and the Delphi technique. Results: Four key topics were identified: Increasing awareness of smoking cessation programs; creating a patient journey that results in high patient satisfaction; Addressing healthcare professional engagement and greater accountability in the delivery of smoking cessation programs; Exploring the role of government/policymakers in shaping smoking cessation programs and providing incentives. Within each of these topics, members were well aligned on the consensus statements after the first round of the Delphi process, with >80% agreement on all statements. The strength of supporting evidence from the literature, including clinical guidelines and best-practice articles in smoking cessation published between 2016 and 2021, was considered ‘strong’ for the majority of the consensus statements. Conclusions: The guidance provided here in the form of consensus statements derived from published data combined with real-world experience aims to provide key stakeholders essential advice on the promotion and delivery of smoking cessation in Saudi Arabia, a country in which tobacco consumption remains high.