Smoking Cessation Counselling
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this pragmatic trial is to compare the effects of text messages on quitline enrollment by patients identified in electronic health records as unassisted tobacco users. The main question it aims to answer is: Do messages offering free counseling or free nicotine patches by text increase quitline enrollment? Researchers will compare if people receiving texts about free nicotine patches will have higher quitline enrollment than texts about free counseling. Participants will receive a text message stratified by quitline language and click on the toll-free number to access quitline services.
Detailed description
Participants were patients of Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LADHS). Through the LADHS population health team, eligible patients were identified through data extraction from the electronic health record for quality metric reporting. Participants were stratified by language (English, Spanish) by LADHS, then randomly assigned to one of two groups. The randomization assignment was generated by a statistician from Kick It California, and text messages were assigned to groups and delivered by LADHS. Group 1 received a text message offering free quitline coaching. Group 2 received a text message offering free nicotine patches. The texts were sent April-May 2022 and were in English or Spanish according to patient preference. All messages contained a toll-free number to access services, which could be called directly from the text message link, but for tracking purposes different numbers were used. The quitline, Kick It California, offered coaching to all enrolled participants. The quitline also mailed a 2-week supply of nicotine patches to all enrolled participants unless contraindicated, regardless of which text offer they received. To ensure equitable access, a second text was sent to all participants in June 2022 offering free NRT.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFree Help
Text message offering free quitline coaching. FREE HELP: Hello #first name#, Kick It California works with your provider to help you quit smoking at no cost. A Quit Coach can double your chances of quitting. For more info call 1-844-XXXXXXX.
BEHAVIORALFree Nicotine message
Text message for free nicotine patches with free quitline counseling. FREE NRT: Hello #first name#, Kick It California works with your provider to help you quit smoking at no cost. You may be able to get nicotine patches mailed to your home at no cost. For more info call 1-844-XXXXXXX.
BEHAVIORALSpanish: Free help message
(Spanish translation available as only English text can be published online in clincialtrials.gov): Text message offering free quitline coaching. FREE HELP: Hello #first name#, Kick It California works with your provider to help you quit smoking at no cost. A Quit Coach can double your chances of quitting. For more info call 1-844-XXXXXXX.
BEHAVIORALSpanish: Free nicotine message
(Spanish translation available as only English text can be published online in clinicaltrials.gov): Text message for free nicotine patches with free quitline counseling. FREE NRT: Hello #first name#, Kick It California works with your provider to help you quit smoking at no cost. You may be able to get nicotine patches mailed to your home at no cost. For more info call 1-844-XXXXXXX.
Sponsors
Kick It California
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Tobacco Related Disease Research Program
California Smokers' Helpline
University of California, Davis
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Patient of Los Angeles County Department of Health Services with clinical encounter in past 12 months * 18 years or older * English or Spanish language * Had cell phone * Permission to text * Patient identified as tobacco user with no documented assistance (e.g., smoking cessation medication, quitline referral, brief counseling by provider) in the prior 24 months
Exclusion criteria
\- Languages other than English or Spanish
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Calls to the quitline | 1 month | Proportion of patients (identified as a tobacco user who has not received cessation assistance) calling the quitline from the link in the text message |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt of quitline treatment | 1-3 months | Proportion of patients (identified as tobacco user who has not received cessation assistance) who called the quitline from a text message and received evidence-based cessation treatments (e.g., quitline coaching, nicotine replacement therapy medication, or both) |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed