Completing the VBA will tell you your patient’s self-reported tobacco status – an important first step.
Very Brief Advice (VBA) is a simple and powerful approach designed to be delivered by any healthcare professional
Evidence-based guide for healthcare professionals who want to do better in treating tobacco dependency
Knowing how to use Very Brief Advice to instigate a quit attempt and supporting smokers who are ready to quit is the business of every healthcare professional.Treating tobacco dependency systematically and effectively will have a significant impact on the triple aim:
In February 2020, the Institute of Health Equity published its landmark report, Marmot Review 10 Years On. It highlighted that for the first time in 100 years, life expectancy has failed to increase across the country, and for the poorest 10% of women it has actually declined. The report went on to state that in the last decade, health inequalities have widened overall, and the amount of time people spend in poor health has increased since 2010.
In this summary document Dr Noel Baxter describes tobacco dependency as a long term relapsing condition that usually starts in childhood. In the document he outlines simple steps you can take to support patients to quit including Very Brief Advce (VBA) and he outlines the treatments available to support smoking cessation.