1.5 CHES Credit Available

Presenter: Edward J. Perka, Jr., CASAC, NCNTT of the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States. 70% of tobacco users want to quit, and many make multiple attempts. Healthcare providers often struggle when talking to their patients about their smoking behavior and advice to quit is often delivered in a curt and non-empathetic fashion as in “you just need to quit smoking!”

This webinar explores some concepts and strategies that can increase engagement with patients while discussing their smoking behavior. Concepts such as ambivalence, and the spirit of Motivational Interviewing (MI) are examined. Strategies such as open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summarizing are discussed. In addition, skills such as listening for and encouraging change talk and dealing with discord are examined. Finally, the six “traps” to avoid are introduced.