Abstract
BACKGROUND: A workshop (WS) for smoking cessation supporter, consisting of mini-lectures and training with
simulated patients (SPs), has been held since 2007. In this WS, the participants practice smoking cessation
support to the SPs in several cases. Initially, medical professionals who were experts in smoking cessation
support played the role of the SPs. At present, however, volunteer non-medical-professional ex-smokers who
have quit smoking with the support of a smoking cessation program on the Internet (Kin-en Marathon) and now
support smoking cessation through this program play the role of the SPs. We compared the overall
participants’ ratings of the WS between the WS in which medical professionals played the SPs (WS with
medical professionals) with that in which non-medical ex-smokers played the SPs (WS with non-medicalprofessionals).
METHODS: We analyzed the results of an anonymous questionnaire administered to the participants by the
Workshop Committee of the Society of Ambulatory and General Pediatrics of Japan. Subjects of this study were
participants of the annual meeting of the Society of Ambulatory and General Pediatrics of Japan in which
results of questionnaire were able to obtain (WS with medical professional; 19th and 20th, and WS with nonmedical-
professionals; 21st and 23rd). We selected questions that would be the most useful for evaluating
the efficacy of this study, which included 1) activeness of participation, 2) achievements, 3) atmosphere of
the WS, 4) enjoyment, 5) satisfaction, and 6) attitude or behavioral change. We compared the ratings of
these questions between the two different types of WSs.
RESULTS: A total of 35 subjects participated in the WS with medical professionals, and 34 participated in
the WS with non-medical-professionals. There were no significant differences in participants’ types of job,
experience of smoking cessation support for both adult and children, and knowledge level about the harm of
the smoking between the two types of WSs. The ratings regarding the atmosphere of the WS (WS with medical
professionals 4.54±0.74 vs. WS with non-medical-professionals 4.85±0.36, p=0.03) and satisfaction (WS with
medical professionals 4.57 ± 0.61 vs. WS with non-medical-professionals 4.85 ± 0.36, p=0.02) were
significantly higher, and the rating regarding enjoyment were non-significantly higher (WS with medical
professionals 4.65±0.54 vs. WS with non-medical-professionals 4.85±0.36, p=0.08) for the WS with nonmedical-
professionals than for that with medical professionals. No significant differences were found in the
activeness of participation, achievements, or attitude or behavioral change between the two types of WSs.
CONCLUSION: The WS for smoking cessation supporter in which non-medical-professional ex-smokers play the SPs
provided a better atmosphere and higher satisfaction in participants than the WS where medical professionals
played the SPs. Continuing and improving this WS will thus be necessary.
