Motivation to Quit Smoking

We are all on a journey, and at Plum Health we like to guide people to better lifestyle choices. For example, if you're trying to quit smoking, we can help you by reminding you of your commitment. 

How do we do this? It's really simple, actually. We just send you a text message! Here's a real life example, sent to one of our members last week: 

These are real text messages, and this is a real patient. Their name has been removed for patient privacy sake, but you get the idea. When you're a part of Plum Health, you are someone who I think about and that I care about and that I want to help. Sincerely, whenever I think about this person, I send them a text and ask - "how's it going?"

And, there is a great deal of evidence to support these types of interventions. There is a systemic review/meta analysis on Text Messaging-Based Interventions for Smoking Cessation in the Journal of Medical Internet Research that came to this conclusion: "The current meta-analytic review provides unequivocal support for the efficacy of text messaging interventions for smoking abstinence."

That's why I send messages like this:

Further, texting patients about their health can have different applications. For example, a text message to a patient regarding their exercise patterns or medication adherence can help them to achieve their goals.

So, what's your goal? How do you want to become healthier? Can I help you get there?

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

- Dr. Paul with Plum Health 

How to Quit Smoking in Detroit

The adult smoking rate in Michigan is 20.5%. So, of the Michiganders over the age of 18, roughly 1 in 5 are smokers and that translates to 1,557,000 smokers in the State of Michigan. Among the United States, Michigan has the 9th highest smoking rate among adults.

This is unfortunate because there are many adverse effects of smoking, from increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes to increases in the rates of head and neck cancers and lung cancers. 

However, there are effective treatments that can help you quit smoking, and once you quit smoking many health benefits can be realized, from lowering your blood pressure to decreasing your risks of cancer. 

This week, I've had a few people ask for help in terms of smoking cessation, and I am happy to provide that type of help. In fact helping people to quit smoking has some of the best patient-oriented evidence in medicine. Full stop. 

Logistically, I would have you come in for an appointment. We would talk about where you are - pre-contemplation, contemplation, or ready to quit aka "quit mode". Then we'd review your medical history, current medications and any pertinent health-related issues. We would then formulate a treatment plan based on you as an individual.

In the person discussed in this video, we used Zyban or Wellbutrin or Bupropion (all different names for the same medication). This is effective in reducing the cravings that people feel for cigarettes. Then, we set a quit date. This is 1 week after starting the Zyban (bupropion).

After the quit date is reached, nicotine replacement therapy is used to tamp down hour-to-hour cravings. This can be in the form of a patch or gum or lozenges. Again, we personalize the method based on your preferences. 

Let me know if you'd like to start your journey to better health with Plum Health, you know that you can reach me through our contact page or by phone, 313.444.5630.

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC