Brief Clinical Interventions

The 5 R’s – Enhancing Motivation to Quit Tobacco

Patients not ready to quit (Precontemplation or Contemplation) may be motivated to make a quit attempt by employing the Clinical Practice Guideline’s 5 R’s.

Relevance:  Encourage the patient to talk about why quitting would be important to them such as protecting their children from second-hand smoke.

Risks:  Encourage the patient to talk about short- or long-term health risks that may be of concern to them.  Reflecting on their concerns may move them to action.

Rewards:  Tobacco users may respond more favorably to rewards or benefits (Table 1) than fear of physical consequences.

Roadblocks:  Every tobacco user has a reason, or several reasons, why they are not making a quit attempt at this time.  By encouraging patients to talk about their barriers to quitting may provide the clinician insight into how to suggest ways to overcome their concerns.

Repetition:  Most people try to quit several times before they succeed.  Total, long-term abstinence is often the final step, or stage, in a long process of going “cold turkey,” using pharmacotherapies, attending a support group, or any combination of personal strategies.

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Citation Number: Vol. 6, No. 4, Page 181