Community Description
Miami is a densely populated city located in the State of Florida. It is the cultural center of Florida, as there are numerous cultures and diverse values affecting the state of affairs. The epidemiologic data from the city suggests that the majority of Miami residents are adults aged from 18 to 65.
Problem Description
The problem that has been identified during the windshield survey is smoking. Adults are at a rather high risk of being exposed to the use of tobacco due to the lack of insight into the potential drawbacks of smoking, such as deteriorated physical appearance and the advent of respiratory and cardiovascular health issues.
Contributing Factors
The key factors that contribute to the severity of the tobacco use issue are sedentary lifestyles, unawareness, and the absence of health programs intended to tackle the problem.
SBIRT Description
The SBIRT approach is a public health approach that may be utilized to address the possibility of applying effective interventions to patients that are exposed to the highest levels of health-related risks.
SBIRT Abbreviation and Process
The (S)creening element allows the nurse to identify patients, whose consumption patterns have a mainly negative effect on their health. The (B)rief (I)ntervention element of the program stands for all the feedback in regard to unhealthy substance use patterns. The (R)eferral to (T)reatment stage is necessary so that the patient’s addiction could be assessed properly.
SBIRT Application
The SBIRT approach will require the potential applicants to support all proposed initiatives and learn more about substance abuse. Screening will pave the way for finding out the current level of dependence, the brief intervention is going to employ motivational enhancements, and the referral to treatment stage will be highlighted by the fact that patients are going to acquire specific coping skills they would be able to showcase in the future.
SBIRT and Vulnerable Populations
The outcomes that the practitioner expects to achieve relate to the possibility of increasing awareness regarding the negative impact of tobacco use among the adult members of the Miami community.
Impact of SBIRT on the Problem
The practitioner will be able to achieve several small to moderate positive modifications related to the patients’ willingness to quit smoking. This would also serve as the basis for improved societal health outcomes and a much more consistent value of patient satisfaction with care. The intensity of the proposed SBIRT program does not play an essential role because motivation-based initiatives would help the practitioners achieve positive outcomes within any adult community in the future.
Community Resources
One essential community resource that could be utilized to prevent increase tobacco use is the existence of mHealth applications such as MyQuit Coach. This app may be easily downloaded from both App Store and Play store, which makes it easily reachable for any member of the vulnerable community.
Phone, Referral Form, Etc.
The suggested resource is affordable because it is completely free to use. MyQuit Coach is accessible because anyone may visit the list of top applications and download the app in several taps. The resource is acceptable because it does not feature any questionable points that would negatively affect smoking cessation practices offered by the practitioner. The resource will remain highly available throughout the treatment process, as it is an mHealth application that can be attained at any given moment via the patient’s smartphone.
Implications for Practice
The selected nurses will have to motivate the vulnerable population rather carefully. The existing data shows that the SBIRT tool might be a decisive factor, as it is based on the idea that any addiction, including tobacco use, may be prevented with the help of comprehensive frameworks (Babor et al., 2017; Barbosa et al., 2017). According to Del Boca et al. (2017), the idea is that nurses should not be afraid to utilize motivation as the essential element in dependence-related treatments.
Conclusion
It may be safe to say that the application of the SBIRT framework is going to have a highly positive impact on the local community due to strong motivation and focus on the patients’ needs.
References
Babor, T. F., Del Boca, F., & Bray, J. W. (2017). Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment: Implications of SAMHSA’s SBIRT initiative for substance abuse policy and practice. Addiction, 112, 110-117.
Barbosa, C., Cowell, A., Dowd, W., Landwehr, J., Aldridge, A., & Bray, J. (2017). The cost‐effectiveness of brief intervention versus brief treatment of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) in the United States. Addiction, 112, 73-81.
Del Boca, F. K., McRee, B., Vendetti, J., & Damon, D. (2017). The SBIRT program matrix: A conceptual framework for program implementation and evaluation. Addiction, 112, 12-22.