News

Could your smartphone hold the key to quitting smoking? As new, technology-powered smoking cessation tools become available, a University of Florida research team is aiming to determine which ones work the best in real-world settings.

In a newly funded study, psychologist Jesse Dallery, PhD, along with implementation scientist Ramzi Salloum, PhD, will compare the impact of smartphone-delivered treatments to help smokers kick the habit and lead tobacco-free lives.

Dallery, professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychology, and Salloum, associate professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, recently received $4.5 million in researching funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to compare new technology-based interventions against each other — and against more traditional smoking cessation tools. The five-year study will follow participants on their quit journeys long-term, testing the effectiveness of two different mobile interventions.

Tobacco addiction is a complex challenge to overcome, requiring strategic planning and a committed attitude. New mobile treatments take different strategies to help users to quit. In the study, researchers will compare iCanQuit, a mobile treatment that teaches users new ways of coping with smoking triggers, to Motiv8, an intervention that encourages users by creating financial incentives. The researchers will determine the effectiveness of using both treatments simultaneously, iCanQuit alone, and Florida’s traditional state quitline, which provides telephone counseling.

The research team plans to enroll 1,332 adult study participants from primary care clinics in the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium, mainly from rural areas. Many smokers, especially those in rural areas or in lower socioeconomic situations, have limited or no access to the traditional resources and support methods that help make quitting achievable. Since smartphone apps circumvent these barriers, the researchers expect the results of this study will be particularly significant for patients in these circumstances.

“The study has enormous potential to improve cessation rates and overall quality of life for patients.” — Jesse Dallery, Professor of Psychology

“This is an exciting study because we will be able to implement and compare evidence-based interventions in underserved communities in North Central Florida,” Dallery said. “The study has enormous potential to improve cessation rates and overall quality of life for patients. At every step, we will work closely with patients, families, physicians, health care systems, payers, and state agencies to deliver the interventions and share the study results.”

The study will fill the current gap in evidence related to effectiveness of mobile treatments, identified by the 2020 Surgeon General’s report on smoking cessation.

“This project was selected for PCORI funding not only for its scientific merit and commitment to engaging patients and other healthcare stakeholders in a major study conducted in real-world settings, but also for its potential to answer an important question about smoking cessation and fill a crucial evidence gap,” PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH, said in a statement. “We look forward to following the study’s progress and working with UF to share its results.”

Dallery and Salloum will lead the study as principal investigators. The award has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and the issuance of a formal award contract. PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 that funds research to help patients, their caregivers, and clinicians make better-informed healthcare decisions.