Embedding prevention in routine care: tobacco-free living aims to make smoking cessation care a part of routine practice in hospitals, recognising an admission to hospital can be a great opportunity for patients who smoke to make a quit attempt.
Seymour Health is collaborating with Quit to make sure all patients who smoke are offered the support they need to increase their chances of quitting successfully.
This includes ensuring all patients are asked about their smoking status, advised of the best way to quit if they smoke, and offered best practice support to stop smoking - nicotine replacement therapy and referral to Quitline (13 78 48).
The initiative has been developed by Quit in conjunction with Alfred Health and the Victorian Government.
Seymour Health chief executive Chris McDonnell said the initiative would play an important role in helping reduce Seymour’s high smoking rate.
“Unfortunately, the smoking rate of 17.41 per cent in Seymour is higher than the Victorian average of 12.4 per cent,” he said.
“Our hospital serves a very diverse population and this initiative is ultimately about linking people in Seymour who smoke with evidence-based support to quit.
“We’re proud to be at the forefront of best practice smoking cessation care and to help improve long-term health outcomes for the community.”
Seymour Health director of clinical services Anne Daley welcomed the collaboration.
“Tobacco is still the number one contributor to premature death and disease in Victoria with more than 44,002 Victorian families losing a loved one to an early death caused by smoking each year,” she said.
“It’s vital that all patients who smoke have access to best practice care to quit. We know stopping smoking can lead to a smoother recovery both during a hospital stay and beyond.”
Quit director Dr Sarah White said most people who smoke want to quit, but only a small proportion used best practice interventions.
“Tobacco dependence is a clinical issue and encounters with a hospital provide an ideal opportunity for patients who smoke to receive timely, best practice care to be smoke free,” she said.
“We’re delighted to be working with Seymour Health to consistently and effectively help all patients who smoke to quit.”
It is being implemented at three other health services –Western District Health Service, Northeast Health Wangaratta and North Western Mental Health - and will serve as a blueprint for delivery of best practice smoking cessation care in Victorian hospitals.
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