Tips on Assisting Your Patients to Quit Smoking Successfully
The US DHHS Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline* recommends five major steps for intervention in the primary care setting to help patients to quit smoking.
Ask
Ask every patient at every visit "Do you smoke?" Document tobacco use status along with vital signs. MORE
Advise
In a clear, strong, and personalized manner, urge every tobacco user to quit. Tailor your advice to the patient’s clinical situation. MORE
Assess
Is the smoker willing to make a quit attempt at this time? Patients not ready to quit may need additional motivational counseling, such as the "5 R's". MORE
Assist
For the patient willing to make a quit attempt, use counseling and pharmacotherapy to help him or her quit. Use the Fax to Quit referral form to connect patients with counseling and other support provided by the NY State Smokers' Quitline 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487). MORE
Arrange
Schedule follow-up contact, in person or by telephone, preferably within the first week after the quit date. MORE
*Fiore MC, Jaén CR, Baker TB, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. May 2008.