Contingency Management to Promote Smoking Cessation
United States20 participantsStarted 2024-09-11
Plain-language summary
Many hospitals and outpatient clinics often refer people who smoke to quitlines and provide prescriptions for smoking cessation medications, but patients rarely fully engage in counseling or use their cessation medications. This is a single-arm, open-label pilot study to provide feasibility metrics for a text-based contingency management (CM) intervention to increase engagement in smoking cessation treatment. All participants (N=20) will be referred to a state quitline and will receive a prescription for medication plus 12 weeks of a text-based CM intervention to increase engagement in quitline calls and varenicline utilization. The engagement of participants in quitline counseling will be tracked for 6 weeks and medication utilization for 12 weeks post-enrollment. The investigators will use mixed-methods to collect implementation and acceptability data to inform changes to the text-based contingency management (CM) intervention.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Smoked in the past 30 days
* Smoke at least 1 cigarette per day when they smoke
* ≥ 18 years old
* Kansas resident
* Speak/read English
* Access to a mobile phone
* Mobile phone receives text messages
* No varenicline contraindications (no acute renal impairment)
* Insurance coverage for varenicline
* Have no significant co-morbidity (i.e., life-threatening illness, communication barriers or altered mental status)
* Cognitively able to participate
* Physically able to participate
* Not pregnant/breastfeeding
Exclusion Criteria:
* Medically ineligible for varenicline
* Patient on smoking cessation medication within 2 weeks of admission date
* Patient already talked to quitline in the past 2 weeks.
* Patients participating in other quit smoking program or research study
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1This trial tested a 'contingency management' approach — rewarding people financially or with incentives for sticking to a smoking cessation program — so could you explain how that kind of motivation strategy compares to what's available to me through standard care or a quitline today?
2The trial specifically tracked whether people actually completed their quitline calls and took their varenicline pills, which suggests adherence was a real challenge — how concerned are you about my ability to stay consistent with a medication like varenicline, and what support would I have?
3Since this trial has already been completed, has its data been published or reviewed yet, and what did it actually show about whether the incentive approach helped people quit smoking at higher rates?
4Varenicline was the medication used in this study — given my personal health history, do you think varenicline is a safe and appropriate option for me, or are there other smoking cessation treatments I should consider first?
5This trial didn't have a traditional phase designation, which means it may have been more focused on testing the program's delivery than proving a clear medical benefit — does that affect how much weight you'd put on its findings when thinking about my treatment options?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.