Tobacco Use Disorder: Helping Your Patients Extinguish the Fire

Powerpoint presentation of a clinical practice update on ...   1.28 MB   1 version
Uploaded - 10-08-2018
Although tobacco use has steadily declined in the United States since the 1960s, it remains the number one preventable cause of death in the country (CDC, 2017). About two thirds of those who use tobacco will eventually die from a tobacco-related illness (Fiore, et al. 2008). Medical and behavioral health providers can begin the process of helping patients quit tobacco by having a clinic wide method for assessing tobacco use. Various successful clinical assessment strategies exist within the context of current tobacco treatment guidelines. In addition to assessment, evidence-based treatment of tobacco use is paramount to helping patients reach their goals. Treatment options with consistent efficacy include the utilization of cognitive-behavioral strategies, motivational interviewing techniques, pharmacotherapy, and nicotine replacement (Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, 2017). Common pitfalls in the treatment of tobacco use are how aggressively to treat patients and how to deal with the seemingly never-ending cadre of fad treatments. It is also important to demonstrate how all professionals in the primary care clinic can collaborate to optimally treat the use of tobacco in our patient population.