Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States. Despite the health risks, tobacco use among adults and adolescents remains high. Learning how to quit tobacco is essential to keeping our members and their loved ones healthy. You can help your patients quit and improve their health outcomes by:
- Appropriately diagnosing tobacco use.
- Documenting tobacco use in medical records.
- Offering tobacco cessation interventions, including counseling and medication.
- Connecting them to additional resources, like a quit line.
- Following up with continuous support to help prevent relapse.
HPSM is here to support and partner with you in helping our members and your patients quit tobacco. Below are additional resources to help tobacco users quit:
For Providers
- HPSM’s Tobacco Cessation Information and Resources webpage for providers has been updated, and includes recommendations, requirements and resources to effectively identify and support those who use tobacco.
- The Youth Tobacco Cessation App from American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is designed to help providers assess and support youth tobacco cessation.
- Read our special-edition quit tobacco newsletter, available in all of our threshold languages on our webpage.
For Members
- Tobacco cessation medications are an evidence-based intervention that can help users quit. A prescription for tobacco cessation medication is required for HPSM to cover the cost. Many providers can prescribe these medications. If you are not licensed to prescribe medications, encourage any patient who wants to quit tobacco to talk to their primary care provider (PCP).
- HPSM’s Quit Tobacco Health Tips webpage has information on the dangers of tobacco, benefits of quitting and resources to help quit tobacco, including HPSM’s Quit Tobacco Newsletter.
- HPSM’s Health Promotion Unit can connect our members to information, HPSM covered services and community resources that can support them in quitting tobacco. Encourage HPSM members to call our Health Promotion Unit at 650-616-2165 to learn more.
- Kick It California offers no-cost phone coaching, text reminders and a smartphone app (all available in several languages) for members seeking to quit tobacco. Providers may also refer members to Kick It CA electronically.
If you have any questions about tobacco cessation resources available to HPSM members, email HPSM’s Health Promotion Unit.