To compare smoking cessation outcomes across four support strategies for current smokers referred for low-dose CT lung cancer screening.
Approach:
Participants: More than 3,200 current smokers were enrolled at multiple U.S. medical centers. The cohort included people who were Black or Hispanic, had limited incomes, or lived in rural communities.
Strategies: Participants received usual ask-advise-refer care; usual care plus free cessation medication; usual care, medication, and financial incentives; or those supports plus the FutureMe text-based behavioral tool.
Follow-up: Participants were followed for six months, and abstinence was verified by blood testing.
Key Findings:
Reported quit rates were 3% with usual care, 1% with usual care plus free medication, 8% with medication and financial incentives, and 2% with medication, incentives, and FutureMe.
The article reports significantly higher quit rates among participants offered financial incentives than among those not offered incentives.
Interpretation:
Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD, said incentives improved cessation rates among participants who may be difficult to engage through conventional methods, including people with long smoking histories and prior unsuccessful quit attempts.
Limitations:
The context does not provide details on randomization, participant characteristics beyond those listed, or the statistical comparisons underlying the reported significance.
Conclusion:
The investigators are planning additional trials to assess broader implementation of financial incentive-based cessation programs.
