Positive reinforcement can spur physicians and health practitioners to promote tobacco cessation

University of Maryland Medical System researchers studied the effects of positive reinforcement to encourage physicians and health practitioners to promote referral to tobacco Quitline resources. The researchers observed an uptick in referrals after physicians and health practitioners received letters and certificates acknowledging their referral efforts in January 2022, indicating that positive feedback and acknowledgment may improve tobacco cessation e-referral rates. The authors assert that providing physicians and health care providers with access to accurate EHR data can also be a valuable tool in improving clinical outcomes in vulnerable populations and that recognition of physicians’ and practitioners’ efforts can potentially be expanded beyond tobacco cessation to address other areas of practice.

Tobacco Cessation Champions: Recognizing Physicians Who Ask, Advise, and Refer
Niharika Khanna, M.D., MBBS, DGO, et al
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

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