Tobacco Free Florida Automated Referral Form Simplifies Tobacco Cessation Intervention
By Laura Corbin, Tobacco Free Florida Bureau Chief | April 6, 2023
Tobacco Free Florida, a bureau of the Florida Department of Health, has launched an automated referral process for connecting patients with the free cessation support available to all Floridians, and designed the system in a way to help medical professionals and healthcare providers who have found themselves at a sticking point when it comes to cessation interventions.
Research has confirmed even brief interventions can make the difference in whether a patient’s quit attempt succeeds. However, for many practices the extreme constraints on per-patient time windows can be so tight that counsel on smoking cessation can feel like just one more item for an already overwhelmed visitation.
Seeking to directly address this issue, Tobacco Free Florida provides an easy automated referral system, whereby medical and public health practitioners can connect patients directly with the free quit resources available to all Floridians, regardless of insurance. The referral process is meant to be seamless and efficient, minimizing the time required.
Medical personnel can visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/healthcare , and find the link for the Automated Referral Form . If an office is already listed, any healthcare provider affiliated with thatorganization can click on the link and go to a customized page for referring patients. A trained Tobacco Free Florida representative will contact the patient directly to introduce the free cessation services available.
If a provider or organization is not yet in the system, a link is available to get easily added. Tobacco Free Florida will set up the link within two business days, and it will be custom to the specific provider.
The automated referral system and its customized links are the latest chapter in Tobacco Free Florida’s efforts to help healthcare providers with the Ask, Advise, Refer process. Other free resources include free patient-facing posters, palm cards and brochures available in English and Spanish, as well as a fax referral system. Patients can also be referred to the Tobacco Free Florida quitline, 1-877-U-CAN-NOW (877-822-6669).
Medical professionals with patients who smoke and are ready to quit have many different ways to encourage cessation without significantly encroaching on the overall time for medical care. Tobacco Free Florida invites healthcare providers across the state to “team up to quit” and take advantage of the expanding number of options to support cessation journeys today.