Putting prevention into practice. Part II: Counseling patients to quit smoking.

Today, heart disease and cancer cause more death and disability in Oklahoma and the United States than all other causes combined. Over 400,000 of these deaths are directly attributable to tobacco use each year. While the majority of smokers want to quit, the smoking habit is particularly difficult to change because of the addictive properties of nicotine. Consistent and reliable recommendations and assistance delivered by a trusted medical provider can support and empower patients to quit tobacco use or maintain their non-smoking status. Properly assessing and triaging a patient's readiness to quit smoking allows you to provide appropriate information to individuals at all different stages on the readiness-to-change spectrum. A brief query can set the stage for future interactions and move a smoker towards action to quit. Utilize support staff and systems interventions, such as chart reminders and protocols, so the provider can focus encounter time on the 3 A's of ASK, ADVISE, and ASSIST.