Five Major Steps to Intervention (The "5A's")

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: PHS Clinical Practice Guideline

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Successful intervention begins with identifying users and appropriate interventions based upon the patient's willingness to quit. The five major steps to intervention are the "5 A's": Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange.

Tobacco is the single greatest preventable cause of disease and premature death in America today. "Starting today, every doctor, nurse, health plan, purchaser, and medical school in America should make treating tobacco dependence a top priority." —David Satcher, MD, Ph.D. Former U.S. Surgeon General Director, National Center for Primary Care, Morehouse School of Medicine

Ask

Identify and document tobacco use status for every patient at every visit. (You may wish to develop your own vital signs sticker, based on the sample below).

Advise

In a clear, strong, and personalized manner, urge every tobacco user to quit.

Assess

Is the tobacco user willing to make a quit attempt at this time?

Assist

For the patient willing to make a quit attempt, use counseling and pharmacotherapy to help him or her quit. (See Counseling Patients To Quit and pharmacotherapy information in this packet).

Arrange

Schedule followup contact, in person or by telephone, preferably within the first week after the quit date.

Vital Signs Blood Pressure:__________________________________________ Pulse:__________________ Weight:__________________ Temperature:____________________________________________ Respiratory Rate:________________________________________ Tobacco Use:        Current        Former        Never        (circle one) * Alternatives to expanding the vital signs are to place tobacco-use status stickers on all patient charts or to indicate tobacco use status using electronic medical records or computer reminder systems.

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Internet Citation:

Five Major Steps to Intervention (The "5A's"). U.S. Public Health Service. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tobacco/5steps.htm

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