Fax to Assist - Module 2

Module 1 > Module 2

The 5 A’s

Overview of Module 2
In this module you will learn:
The 5 A’s for Brief Intervention
The 5 A’s are a simple, brief way to address tobacco use with your clients
The 5 A’s are: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange
Adapted from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Use
Only Takes 1 – 5 minutes to Implement

1. ASK: Ask about Tobacco Use Every Time
Asking about tobacco use is just as important as taking a client’s blood pressure, asking about current symptoms, or any other standard procedure used in your office or clinic.
Ask clients:
Are you a current/former smoker?
How much do you smoke?
How long have you smoked?
Because a person’s smoking status and readiness to make a quit attempt can change, it is important to discuss smoking with clients at each visit.

2. ADVISE: Urge ALL tobacco users to quit
Clear, Concise, Strong and Personalized Advice
Examples:
It is important for your health to stop using tobacco right away.
Quitting tobacco use is necessary for both your health and your family’s health.
There are a number of different options to help you quit and we can talk about which are best for you.

3. ASSESS: Determine willingness to make a quit attempt
Talk to each tobacco user about his or her willingness to make a quit attempt at the time of their visit and mention Fax to Assist.
To assess readiness to quit:
Determine where the smoker is in the process of change.
A ‘Readiness Ruler’ is a helpful tool to assess readiness to quit.

4. ASSIST: Provide help
Provide an array of possible treatment options
Fax to Assist through the Maryland Quitline
Smoking cessation groups
Local health department resources
Pharmacotherapy*
*when medically advisable (consider pregnancy, other medications, allergies, etc.)
Help the client set a personal quit date

Additional information for providers who can spend more time with clients
Teach Abstinence
Advise the client to avoid smoking even one puff after the quit date.
Consider past quit attempts
Discuss the negative and positive aspects of previous attempts.
Identify triggers or barriers for this quit attempt and how to overcome them.
Talk about alcohol use
For many quitters, alcohol can lead to relapse; talk to the client about reducing use or abstaining from alcohol during their quit attempt.
Living with other smokers
Clients may want to ask others in the home to make a quit attempt with them or not to smoke in their presence.

6. ARRANGE: Schedule follow-up contact
During follow-up appointments via phone or in person, you can encourage continued abstinence or address relapse issues.
Follow-up is most useful when it occurs within the first few weeks of the quit attempt.
During follow-up contacts:
Congratulate success!
If the client has smoked:
Discuss reasons for continued use, identify barriers to quitting and how to overcome them, and encourage a re-commitment to quitting.

7. Treating Tobacco Using the 5 A’s

8. Summary of the 5 A’s

YOU HAVE COMPLETED MODULE 2.

Please CLICK HERE to proceed to MODULE 3, which covers: Stages of Change, Motivational Strategies and The 5 R’s.