Better Choices Better Health Workshops at Exeter Hospital

• Background:

Better Choices, Better Health is the brand name of the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management program. It is a 6-week workshop that meets 2.5 hours per week and is designed for adults with stable chronic health conditions and their caregivers. Developed by the Stanford University Patient Education Research Center, the overall goal of Better Choices, Better Health is to build participants’ self-confidence to assume a major role in maintaining their health and managing their conditions. The workshop design is based on some key assumptions:

1. People with chronic conditions have similar concerns and problems.
2. People with chronic conditions must deal not only with their conditions, but also with the impact on their lives and emotions.
3. People with chronic conditions can learn the skills needed to better manage their conditions day to day.

• Is tobacco use a chronic condition?

The answer is yes. Chronic conditions have been defined as “conditions that last a year or more and require ongoing medical attention and/or limit activities of daily living.” (G. Warshaw, cited in the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Report, “Multiple Chronic Conditions: A Strategic Framework,” Dec. 2010).  These conditions include not only physical medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, but also mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, and addiction disorders.

Stopping tobacco use is so hard and becomes an ongoing issue because tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Tobacco use is an example of an addiction disorder and thus is considered a chronic condition. In addition, tobacco use contributes to the development of a host of other chronic conditions over time.

• How can Better Choices, Better Health help me prepare to quit smoking?

Peer support and discussion, brainstorming solutions to common problems and weekly action planning to work toward specific personal goals are central elements in Better Choices, Better Health workshops that are not disease-specific and therefore empower adults with any chronic condition to become better self-managers of their health. These elements can apply to and support the process of becoming a non-smoker in the following ways:

• By helping those who may be thinking about quitting tobacco but are not actively trying through brainstorming solutions to obstacles and increasing motivation
• By helping those who are actively preparing to quit through setting weekly, realistic goals that build toward the long-term goal of quitting
• By enhancing communication skills to increase one’s ability to identify and follow up on resources and work with one’s health care team

• How do I get more information about Better Choices, Better Health?

• For more details about the Better Choices, Better Health workshop, including the schedule of upcoming workshops, click on the “Better Choices, Better Health-chronic disease management workshop” link on the left sidebar of this page, or call the Exeter Hospital Information and Referral Line at 603-580-6668.
• Registration is required. To register for a workshop, call the Exeter Hospital Information and Referral Line at 603-580-6668

For Smokers and Health Care Providers: Quit Lines and Online Cessation Programs

• The NH Tobacco Help Line  1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) is the quit line for New Hampshire residents and is part of the National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quit lines. The website provides links to multiple resources for NH residents and includes a Providers page which links to QuitWorks-NH (see below). QuitWorks-NH and the New Hampshire Tobacco Helpline are operated by the New Hampshire Try To STOP TOBACCO Resource Center. Callers in the NH 603 area code are automatically connected to 1-800-QUIT NOW. It is also the access phone number for the National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quit Lines. Callers from states that don’t have a state-operated quit line are connected to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) quit line.

• QuitWorks-NH provides a mechanism for providers to connect their patients to the state of New Hampshire’s tobacco treatment services. The site provides referral forms for providers to download and send to the NH Try-To-STOP Tobacco Resource Center, which enrolls the patient in telephone counseling services. Providers receive confirmation that their patients have been contacted, and patients receive 5 free sessions of telephone counseling and other services.

• Nicotine Anonymous is a free, non-profit support group that offers a 12-step program to help its participants quit smoking. The website provides connections to online meetings, a list of telephone meetings that occur at multiple times of the day and night, and links to local group meetings around the country, including the schedule of local meetings in New Hampshire.

• Quitnet.org helps smokers work through their nicotine addiction. Without registering, you can obtain a guide to help you quit, a calendar to follow through the process, a directory of cessation programs, and daily tobacco news. Upon membership registration, you get peer-to-peer support, quitting tools, quit tips, anniversary emails, and up-to-date information.

• Freedom from Smoking Online is the American Lung Association’s free online smoking cessation program. The 8-session format emphasizes a step-by-step process and includes both individual and group components.

• Smokefree.gov is the National Cancer Institute’s smoking cessation website. Smokefree.gov provides a step-by-step quit guide, educational resources, and other tools to assist you with your process.