Table 2 Shows agreement with the main statement and with the pre-set arguments pro et contra this statement
All physicians: | General Public: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Proportion agreed (n) | Proportion found this argument most important | Proportion agreed (n) | Proportion found this argument most important | ||
Response to main statement (“It is right, in a case such as this, to make surgery conditional upon smoking cessation four weeks prior to and after surgery”) | 83.9% (386) | Not applicable | 86.6% (226) | Not applicable | |
Arguments pro the main claim | Because of risk for complications due to smoking | 94.2% (436) | 73.4% (246) | 93.5% (244) | 59.8% (116) |
Because it is in the patient’s own interest to stop smoking altogether | 65.9% (302) | 4.8% (16) | 72.0% (185) | 10.3% (20) | |
(Respondent’s own argument) | 16.2% (75) | 0.9% (3) | 14.6% (38) | 2.1% (4) | |
Arguments contra the main claim | Because the patient, if well informed, should be allowed to decide for himself | 39.4% (181) | 8.1% (27) | 50% (128) | 11.9% (23) |
Because smoking is important to this patient’s life quality | 32.5% (150) | 7.2% (24) | 37.1% (96) | 7.7% (15) | |
(Respondent’s own argument) | 17.8% (82) | 4.2% (14) | 19.1% (50) | 5.7% (11) | |