In Latrobe City, Victoria, 24% of adults smoke daily or occasionally, which is a significantly higher rate than the 13% of Victorian adults who are current smokers.
The Gippsland Primary Health Network (PHN), in partnership with the Latrobe Health Assembly and Quit Victoria, launched an Australian-first primary care approach to help people quit smoking.
Ms Marianne Shearer, CEO Gippsland PHN and Ms Harriet Shing MP, Member for Eastern Victoria in the Legislative Council, launched the new ‘Smoke-free Latrobe’ initiative on the 9 October 2017 in Moe as part of the newly established Latrobe Health Innovation Zone.
Quit Victoria has developed a multi-faceted approach supporting health professionals to deliver best practice smoking cessation intervention (pharmacotherapy plus behavioural support) as part of routine primary care. Health professionals are trained to adopt the new Quit training guidelines - known as the 3 Step Intervention – Ask, Advise and Help .
The new approach is designed to build health professionals' capacity, skills, knowledge and confidence to provide quick and purposeful intervention to support people to quit smoking.
Gippsland PHN commenced the new educational and quality improvement activities in June 2017. Prior to the new approach, two referrals were received by Quitline from GPs in the regions under this initiative in 2015. In September 2017, following education and training, Quitline reports receipt of 57 referrals from the same regions.
Gippsland PHN in partnership with Quit Victoria encourages other organisations to implement a systematic approach by supporting people to be smoke free using the 3 step approach: Ask, Advise and Help . It’s quick and easy.
For more information about this initiative please visit the Gippsland PHN website
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