Integration of Smoking Cessation into Electronic Health Records

Audience: Physicians/clinicians, RNs, office managers, tobacco control workers, state/government officials.

Key Points: It is imperative that the treatment of tobacco dependence become an integral component of healthcare systems and be fully incorporated into electronic medical records; The meaningful use final rule includes the recording of smoking status for patients 13 years or older as a core objective and identifies tobacco use assessment and smoking cessation intervention as a clinical quality measure; Incorporation and expansion of the 5As Model into EHRs would facilitate a systems change that would enable evidence based changes in the treatment of tobacco use and dependence; Standardized templates should include drop down boxes/fields that provide information relative to provider's performance on advice to quit, prescribed/recommended medications for treating tobacco dependence, counseling interventions, quit dates, referrals (cessation groups & quitlines), educational materials, and follow-up visits; Clinical data collected from EHRs utilizing standardized templates demonstrates changes in provider performance in treating patients who use tobacco.

Educational Experience: The Medical Society of the State of New York worked with physician practices in the Adirondack Patient Centered Medical Home demonstration pilot and EHR vendors to include specific fields related to interventions for treating tobacco dependence. This presentation will review the template development, staff training, and collected data that was retrieved through the use of EHRs.

Benefits: Increase physician/clinician performance in assisting patients with smoking cessation and ultimately improve patient outcomes by adding fields within EHRs that identify specific interventions.