Tobacco

Experts suggest the 5As as an approach to smoking cessation counseling, starting with Ask about tobacco use.

Advise your patient to quit, connecting this advice to their current health concern if possible.

Assess readiness to quit.  Are they ready to set a quit date within the next month? If so, move on to the next A. If not, use motivational interviewing to try to increase their readiness for change.

Assist your patient in making a plan.  Set a date and decide together on additional therapies – you’ll learn more about these later in Foundations.

Arrange follow-up.

For clinicians with less time or expertise, the 5As are modified to Ask, Advise, Refer to Tobacco Quitlines and local smoking cessation programs; or Ask, Advise, Connect to other providers with expertise in smoking cessation, like a clinical pharmacist or behavioral health specialist in the clinic or hospital.