Tobacco Cessation

Many people struggle to give up tobacco use, which is not easy. The US Department of Health and Human Services has published helping Smokers to Quit: A Guide for Clinicians at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tobacco/clinhlpsmksqt.pdf. The guide has tips for helping your patients quit. Many states offer tobacco cessation programs that involve counseling and medication therapy. Patients can get more information by simply by calling their states’ Quit Line.

Quit Line South Dakota: 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487) 

Quit Line Iowa: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) 

Quit Plan Helpline Minnesota: 1-888-354-PLAN (1-888-354-7526) 

Quit Line North Dakota: 1-800-784-8669 

Other States Quit Line Information
 

Sanford Health Plan has a Smoking Cessation Benefit for members. For more information call Member Services at 328-6800 or 1-800-752-5863 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM (CST).

Advising Smokers to Quit Measures
Sanford Health Plan has received results from our 2010 CAHPS® 4.0H survey. The CAHPS® survey is sent to a sample member population to determine their perception of the care they receive from their practitioners and the care they receive from their Health Plan.

The rates for advising smokers to quit this year are not trendable to previous year’s rate as changes were made to the response options of the CAHPS® questions this year.

CAHPS® 2010
Advising Smokers to Quit: 80.0%
Discussing Smoking Cessation Medications: 55.0%
Discussing Smoking Cessation Strategies: 53.8%

Member Education Resources
Sanford Health Plan has implemented various interventions with our members in an effort to assist members with smoking cessation. Among these are making the quit line and Health Plan cessation benefit information available to members, including cessation information in our disease management program education. A dedicated Sanford Health Plan website is also available to members with tobacco cessation education and resources.