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The Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health (BCIFH) actively
seeks solutions to health care problems and works to promote
health and wellness for all Idahoans. In pursuit of that
mission, the Foundation initiated its first program, smoking
cessation, in 2002. The program was a collaboration with
Idaho's seven District Health departments to train and encourage
physicians to adopt the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's (CDC) guidelines, which encourage more people
to quit using tobacco.
This
public/private partnership between BCIFH and the Health
Districts came about, in part, from settlement money (the
Millennium Fund) that states received to fund free tobacco
cessation behavioral counseling classes. These classes were
offered statewide through Idaho's District Health departments
to any Idaho tobacco user who wanted to quit regardless
of their insurance coverage.
Physicians
benefited from the pilot project because it enhanced the
incorporation of the CDC model into their practice and will
hopefully endure after the project's completion. In addition,
because this simple smoking cessation model of reminders
and instructions was successful, it can be used on a broader
scale.
The
Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health did extensive
research and developed training materials and procedures
for provider-initiated tobacco interventions. The training
began in April of 2002 and included free tobacco prescriptions
for one month with up to three patient refills for those
patients who wanted to participate in the program at their
physician's suggestion. Patients had to first attend a Millennium
Fund-sponsored counseling class before receiving their free
prescription. BCIFH and the Health Districts shared evaluation
statistics, summaries and reports. This information showed
that the smoking cessation program produced the following
outcomes:
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It
increased physician awareness of the Millennium Fund-supported
smoking cessation program.
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It
helped motivate physicians to establish tobacco cessation
discussion as part of their routine patient exams, and
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Ultimately,
it will increase the attempts and successes of Idahoans
in their efforts to quit using tobacco.
Patients
who enrolled in the program had good success. Of the 33
percent who initially quit tobacco use, 18 percent quit
long term and 70 percent either quit, or initially reduced
their usage.
This
was BCIFH's first initiative. Please check this Web site
in the future for new initiatives we will be pursuing to
promote health and wellness.
For
additional information about the prevelance of smoking in
Idaho, please visit the following links:
Coalition
for a Healthy Idaho
Campaign
for Tobacco-free kids
Centers
for Disease Control Office on Smoking and Health
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