A rheumatology clinic initiative to connect patients with smoking cessation resources was feasible, cost-effective and boosted referrals to the state quit line 20-fold, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.
The initiative, called Quit Connect, used electronic health record prompts that encouraged clinic staff to check patients’ readiness to quit, advise them on the
Apr 9, 2021
THURSDAY, April 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) Implementing the Quit Connect protocol in rheumatology clinics is feasible and increases electronic referrals to a state-run tobacco quit line, according to a study published online April 6 in
Arthritis Care & Research.
Christie M. Bartels, M.D., from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, and colleagues assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of implementation of a staff-driven protocol, Quit Connect, to increase the rate of electronic referrals (e-referrals) from three rheumatology clinics to free, state-run tobacco quit lines. The analysis included 4,078 eligible pre-implementation visits and 523 intervention period visits.
The researchers found that the odds of referral to the tobacco quit line were higher for the postimplementation period compared with the pre-implementation period (unadjusted odds ratio, 26). Similarly, the odds of staff checking patients’ readiness to quit in
Rheumatology Smoking Cessation Referral Program Finds Success medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Program May Help Patients With Rheumatic Diseases Quit Smoking
Smoking increases symptoms and health risks for patients with rheumatic diseases, but interventions to help patients quit are rarely available at rheumatology clinics. A study published in Arthritis Care & Research has found that Quit Connect-a protocol involving electronic health record prompts for nurses and medical assistants in rheumatology clinics-can increase electronic referrals to free, state-run tobacco quit lines.
Implementing Quit Connect led to electronic referrals for 71% of patients who were identified as ready to quit, with referrals taking less than 90 seconds for medical staff to complete.
“There’s a huge opportunity to address smoking as a modifiable risk factor in rheumatology patients, and Quit Connect was 26-times more effective than usual care for delivering evidence-based quitline support,” said lead author Christie M. Bartels, MD, MS, of the University of Wisconsin School of Med
Program may help patients with rheumatic diseases quit smoking eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.