PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Susan A. Flocke AU - Nathalie Huguet AU - Steffani R. Bailey AU - Tahlia Hodes AU - Jean P. O’Malley TI - Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Assessing Tobacco Status in Community Health Centers AID - 10.1370/afm.2948 DP - 2023 Mar 01 TA - The Annals of Family Medicine PG - 161--164 VI - 21 IP - 2 4099 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/21/2/161.short 4100 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/21/2/161.full SO - Ann Fam Med2023 Mar 01; 21 AB - Few have studied the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on tobacco use status assessment and cessation counseling. Electronic health record data from 217 primary care clinics were examined from January 1, 2019 to July 31, 2021. Data included telehealth and in-person visits for 759,138 adult patients (aged ≥18 years). Monthly rates of tobacco assessment per 1,000 patients were calculated. From March 2020 to May 2020, tobacco assessment monthly rates declined by 50% and increased from June 2020 to May 2021 but remained 33.5% lower than pre-pandemic levels. Rates of tobacco cessation assistance changed less, but remain low. These findings are significant given the relevance of tobacco use to increased severity of COVID-19.