HEALTHmattersMD

Welcome to the HEALTHmattersMD blog—an online resource where providers can find the latest news and updates about HPSM. Top stories are highlighted with images, and you can find more stories listed under them. To read a story, just click the headline or the "Read more" link. In the side menu, you can also select articles by topic or see our newsletter archive and provider notices.

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New HPSM Microsite: Tobacco Cessation Information and Resources

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New HPSM Microsite: Tobacco Cessation Information and Resources

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New HPSM Microsite: Tobacco Cessation Information and Resources

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New HPSM Microsite: Tobacco Cessation Information and Resources

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States. To help you help your patients quit tobacco, we have created a new Tobacco Cessation Information and Resources microsite with recommendations, requirements and resources on the following topics: 

  • Identifying patients who use or have used tobacco covers guidelines for identifying and documenting tobacco use—the first key step in helping people quit. 
  • Treating patients who use tobacco covers counseling, treatment and other resources that can help your patients quit, like quit lines and mobile apps.
  • Vulnerable populations covers clinical recommendations and guidelines for tobacco use and prevention in children, adolescents and pregnant people. It also highlights resources that can help your adolescent patients quit. 
  • Provider education and training covers clinical guidelines, toolkits and ongoing trainings for continuing medical education credit (CME/CE). These resources are designed to help you deliver and support effective treatments for tobacco use.

Social determinants of health play a significant part in tobacco-use related disparities. As a result, some vulnerable communities experience higher rates of tobacco use and tobacco-related health disparities. For example: 

  • People living in poverty and adults with lower levels of education smoke cigarettes at a higher rate than the general population.
  • There is often a higher density of tobacco retailers located in low-socioeconomic areas, low-income African American communities and communities with more LGBTQIA+ couples.

Appropriately diagnosing tobacco use, documenting it in medical records and offering tobacco cessation interventions will enable us to work together to effectively reduce tobacco use and improve health outcomes.