Quit Smoking

What's the best way to help patients quit? Are there any evidence-based smoking cessation strategies that really work? What is the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking? These are some of the questions that frequently come up when you ask healthcare professionals about smoking cessation.

Clinicians need to remind patients that the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking is to try, try, and try again. In fact, you may need to try again after you quit successfully because you may relapse. But then you have to try again, and again, and again... (I think you get the picture). According to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine titled, "Effect of Varying Levels of Disease Management on Smoking Cessation", healthcare professionals need to treat smoking as a chronic condition that needs to be addressed at every office visit. Furthermore, patients may require some intensive interventions that include medication and counseling, as well as continued dialogue with their healthcare provider. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and included 50 rural primary care practices.

Clinicians need to approach smoking cessation management as "disease management." The news was so compelling that the ACP had a press release go out on Business Wire. So what is the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking? Try, try, and try again.