79. Treatment Recommendations: Counseling (Continued)
Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update
Screening and Assessment
Screen for Tobacco Use
Recommendation: All patients should be asked if they use tobacco and should have their tobacco-use status documented on a regular basis. Evidence has shown that clinic screening systems such as expanding the vital signs to include tobacco-use status, or the use of other reminder systems such as chart stickers or computer prompts significantly increase rates of clinician intervention. (Strength of Evidence = A).