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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Jan 21;8(1):e017105.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017105.

Smartphone Smoking Cessation Application (SSC App) trial: a multicountry double-blind automated randomised controlled trial of a smoking cessation decision-aid 'app'

Nasser F BinDhim  1   2 , Kevin McGeechan  2 , Lyndal Trevena  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Smartphone Smoking Cessation Application (SSC App) trial: a multicountry double-blind automated randomised controlled trial of a smoking cessation decision-aid 'app'

Nasser F BinDhim et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objective: To assess the efficacy of an interactive smoking cessation decision-aid application (pp) compared with a smoking cessation static information app on continuous abstinence.

Design: Automated double-blind randomised controlled trial with 6 months follow-up (2014-2015).

Setting: Smartphone-based.

Participants: 684 participants (daily smokers of cigarettes, 18 years old or over) recruited passively from app stores in the USA, Australia, UK and Singapore, and randomised to one of two sub-apps.

Interventions: Behavioural, decision-aid, smartphone application.

Main outcomes: Continuous abstinence at 10 days, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months.

Results: Smokers who received the decision-aid app were more likely to be continuously abstinent at 1 month compared with the information-only app (28.5% vs 16.9%; relative risk (RR) 1.68; 95% CI 1.25 to 2.28). The effect was sustained at 3 months (23.8% vs 10.2%; RR 2.08; 95% CI 1.38 to 3.18) and 6 months (10.2% vs 4.8%; RR 2.02; 95% CI 1.08 to 3.81). Participants receiving the decision-aid app were also more likely to have made an informed choice (31.9% vs 19.6%) and have lower decisional conflict (19.5% vs 3.9%).

Conclusion: A smartphone decision-aid app with support features significantly increased smoking cessation and informed choice. With an increasing number of smokers attempting to quit, unassisted evidence-based decision-aid apps can provide an effective and user-friendly option to many who are making quit decisions without healthcare professionals.

Trial registration number: ACTRN12613000833763.

Keywords: decision-aid; smartphone; smoking cessation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart for trial. app, application.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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