Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Vivian Houng.
Counseling patients to change unhealthy behaviors: Part I in a 3-part series. Part II details interventions for tobacco abuse and Part III covers obesity prevention and treatment.
Today, heart disease and cancer cause more death and disability in Oklahoma and the United States than all other causes combined. Over 400,000 of these deaths are directly attributable to tobacco use each year. While the majority of smokers want to quit, the smoking habit is particularly difficult to change because of the addictive properties of nicotine. Consistent and reliable recommendations and assistance delivered by a trusted medical provider can support and empower patients to quit tobacco use or maintain their non-smoking status. Properly assessing and triaging a patient's readiness to quit smoking allows you to provide appropriate information to individuals at all different stages on the readiness-to-change spectrum. A brief query can set the stage for future interactions and move a smoker towards action to quit. Utilize support staff and systems interventions, such as chart reminders and protocols, so the provider can focus encounter time on the 3 A's of ASK, ADVISE, and ASSIST.
The number of obese and overweight Oklahomans and Americans has grown both steadily and rapidly in the last few decades. Along with this increase in weight, doctors now see a higher proportion of chronic, degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoarthritis. Poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and poor stress and time management contribute to weight problems and illness. Lifestyle changes have no side effects or risks, other than the perceived challenge of implementing and maintaining them. Healthier habits offer multiple organ system benefits including weight control, less anxiety and depression, improved energy, better sleep, and lower rates of gastrointestinal problems, such as reflux, gallstones, and fatty liver. By providing accurate and comprehensible information, doctors can motivate and support patients to better safeguard their health and manage their weight. This article will suggest specific phrases to use in the framework of motivational interviewing, as discussed in the first article, Part I, in this 3-part series.