Combining interactive communication and nicotine replacement therapy for smokers: abridged secondary publication
MP Wang 1, TH Lam2, K Viswanath3, RCK Cheng4, TTO Kwok5, DYT Cheung1, CKH Wong6,7, JJJ Lee1, HCH Chan8
1 School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
2 School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
3 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Community-Based Research, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, United States
4 Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
5 Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
6Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
7 Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
8 Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Mobile healthcare enables high-reach, low-cost, and personalised smoking cessation support.
- We assessed the effectiveness of interactive communication technologies (instant messaging and chatbot) plus nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation in 664 smokers in Hong Kong.
- Compared with controls, the intervention group had higher rates of abstinence at 6 months (3.9% vs 3.0%, odds ratio [OR]=1.31) and 12 months (5.4% vs 4.5%, OR=1.21), but the differences were not statistically significant.
- Our findings have guided the establishment of two chatbots to promote smoking cessation services and COVID-19 vaccination.