Smoking increases symptoms and health risks for patients with rheumatic diseases, but interventions to help patients quit are rarely available at rheumatology clinics. A study published in Arthritis Care & Research has found that Quit Connect—a protocol involving electronic health record prompts for nurses and medical assistants in rheumatology clinics—can increase electronic referrals to free, state-run tobacco quite lines.
Implementing Quit Connect led to electronic referrals for 71% of patients who were identified as ready to quit, with referrals taking less than 90 seconds for medical staff to complete.
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