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A perspective article published in the March 2012 issue of New England Journal of Medicine makes the case that hospitals need to prioritize implementation of the Joint Commission Tobacco Measure Set. This article adds to the evidence base that screening all patients for tobacco use and offering treatment and follow-up to those who use tobacco is both good policy and practice. The authors write that it is both a “medical and moral imperative” that hospitals make a commitment to help their patients who use tobacco to quit.
Partnership for Prevention provided the funding for the Joint Commission to develop the tobacco measure set. Last year, Partnership created the guide “Helping Patients Quit,” which provides detailed information about how the Joint Commission Tobacco Measure Set can be implemented in the hospital setting. Case studies and sample resources are also included.
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