All healthcare providers – from clinic staff to pharmacists to physicians – play a part in helping a patient quit tobacco. The 2018 Tobacco and Disease Symposium, set for 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), will offer up to eight accredited continuing education hours addressed to each role.
The cost is $50, or $25 for half a day, for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and social workers. The cost for students and medical residents is $25.
Topics include effective communication and billing and documentation for staff by Gail Olin, MSN, with the Texas Medical Foundation; medications by UAMS’ Jennifer Roberts, BS; assessment and interventions by UAMS’ Pat Franklin, APRN; screening and diagnosis by UAMS’ Matthew Steliga, MD; motivational interviewing by Joseph Bankin, PhD; a hands-on demonstration on how to use a breath carbon monoxide monitor with UAMS’ Claudia Barone, DNP; vaping, juicing, and e-cigarettes by UAMS’ Harriett Kayanja, MD; and a panel discussion on the role of the team by East Arkansas Family Health in West Memphis.
An interdisciplinary approach is critical for helping a tobacco user quit, which is why the symposium has widened its scope to include the roles of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, respiratory therapists, and front-end clinic staff.
“Having an interdisciplinary team that identifies patients who are tobacco users, coupled with medical treatment and counseling, increases the chances of a patient giving up tobacco for good,” said Trena Mitchell, executive director of the Arkansas Cancer Coalition. “A team approach within healthcare systems is the best intervention and essential to decreasing tobacco-related diseases in our state.”
To register, call (501) 686-6626 or visit cme.uams.edu.
The event is supported by the Arkansas Cancer Coalition, the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, and Stamp Out Smoking.