Unveiling the lessons from a virtual tobacco cessation program targeting surgical patients

The authors aimed to evaluate patient engagement in a video-based virtual tobacco cessation program tailored for surgical patients, assessing its effectiveness across various general surgery clinics. Despite the implementation of the program, engagement rates were low, with only 10.3% of patients referred to further support and 5.4% attending at least one follow-up visit. The study highlights the need for further research to identify optimal strategies for engaging the surgical patient population in smoking cessation efforts.