Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
The goal of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to test whether a smoking cessation induction intervention delivered during a dental cleaning appointment increases the utilization of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for smoking cessation within 7 months post-dental cleaning appointment. Approximately 400 cigarette smokers who are scheduled for a dental cleaning appointment at the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) patient treatment center will be recruited and enrolled. Participants will be randomized to either the intervention or control group
Do I have to stop taking my current medications to join the trial?
Yes, if you are currently using medications for smoking cessation or smoking reduction, you cannot participate in this trial.
What data supports the idea that VR Smoking Cessation Program for Quitting Smoking is an effective treatment?
The available research shows that text messaging, which is a part of the VR Smoking Cessation Program, is effective in helping people quit smoking. It has been shown to increase the likelihood of attending smoking cessation clinic appointments and can encourage people to use web-based tools for quitting. Text messaging is widely used and can be a helpful tool in supporting people to stop smoking. Compared to other methods like self-help booklets, web-based interventions with tailored messages, which can include text messaging, have been more effective in reducing tobacco use.12345
What safety data exists for the VR Smoking Cessation Program?
The available research primarily focuses on text messaging programs for smoking cessation, which are related to the VR Smoking Cessation Program. These studies indicate that text messaging interventions are generally well-received and show promise in helping people quit smoking. Participants in these programs reported high satisfaction and engagement, with no significant safety concerns mentioned. However, specific safety data for the VR Smoking Cessation Program itself is not detailed in the provided research.678910
Is the VR Smoking Cessation Program a promising treatment for quitting smoking?
Yes, the VR Smoking Cessation Program is a promising treatment. It uses virtual reality to engage smokers, even those not ready to quit, by showing them videos during dental cleanings. Participants found it satisfying and informative, and many reported increased motivation to quit smoking. Some even quit smoking after using the program.2781112
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for Massachusetts residents who smoke cigarettes, have smoked over 100 in their lifetime, and use text messaging. They must be patients at the Boston University Dental Medicine center with an upcoming dental appointment, able to understand study materials, watch a video, and wear headphones. Excluded are those already in smoking cessation studies or using cessation meds.Inclusion Criteria
I have smoked cigarettes in the last week.
Patient of the Boston University, Henry M Goldman School of Dental Medicine treatment center with an upcoming dental hygiene appointment (dental prophylaxis or scaling and root planing)
Is able to understand written and spoken study materials
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Exclusion Criteria
Failure to show up to scheduled dental appointment at the clinic
Previous participation in the pilot phase
Could not watch video during dental appointment
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Treatment Details
Interventions
- Assessment text messages (Behavioural Intervention)
- Brochure of smoking cessation EBTs (Behavioural Intervention)
- Control video (Behavioural Intervention)
- Experimental smoking cessation video (Behavioural Intervention)
- Tailored text message program (Behavioural Intervention)
Trial OverviewThe study tests if a smoking cessation video and follow-up texts during a dental visit can increase the use of proven quitting methods within 7 months post-visit. Participants will either receive this intervention or control content randomly during their scheduled cleaning at BUGSDM.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Intervention groupExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
Participants randomized into the intervention arm will watch smoking cessation videos (ready to quit or not ready to quit) during a dental cleaning clinic visit, receive a brochure about EBTs, and participate in a 4-week text message program which consists of automated and tailored text messages to motivate EBT utilization. After the 4-week program, the intervention group will receive monthly assessment text messages.
Group II: Control groupActive Control3 Interventions
Participants randomized into the control arm will watch a control video during a dental hygiene visit and receive a brochure about EBTs, and a 4-week assessment-only text message program.
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Henry M Goldman School of Dental MedicineBoston, MA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Boston UniversityLead Sponsor
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)Collaborator
References
Combining Real-Time Ratings With Qualitative Interviews to Develop a Smoking Cessation Text Messaging Program for Primary Care Patients. [2023]Text messaging (short message service, SMS) interventions show promise as a way to help cigarette smokers quit. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of text messaging (SMS) programs targeting smokers associated with primary care or hospital settings.
Optimising text messaging to improve adherence to web-based smoking cessation treatment: a randomised control trial protocol. [2019]Millions of smokers use the Internet for smoking cessation assistance each year; however, most smokers engage minimally with even the best designed websites. The ubiquity of mobile devices and their effectiveness in promoting adherence in other areas of health behaviour change make them a promising tool to address adherence in Internet smoking cessation interventions. Text messaging is used by most adults, and messages can proactively encourage use of a web-based intervention. Text messaging can also be integrated with an Internet intervention to facilitate the use of core Internet intervention components.
The development of the tobacco tactics website. [2021]Web-based cessation interventions have been shown to reduce tobacco use, be more efficacious than self-help booklets, be more efficacious if they provide tailored messages, and enhance quit rates in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy.
Randomized trial of a smartphone mobile application compared to text messaging to support smoking cessation. [2022]Text messaging has successfully supported smoking cessation. This study compares a mobile application with text messaging to support smoking cessation.
Does Short Message Service Increase Adherence to Smoking Cessation Clinic Appointments and Quitting Smoking? [2019]Using innovative and scientific methods increases the rate of quitting in smokers. Short message service (SMS) is a communication tool widely used and well integrated in many people's daily lives. To increase adherence to appointments in smoking cessation clinics (SCC), it is thought that increased compliance could be achieved by falling outside the traditional methods. SMS has been shown to increase the compliance of patients with SCC appointments.
Text2Quit: results from a pilot test of a personalized, interactive mobile health smoking cessation program. [2022]Text messaging programs on mobile phones have shown some promise in helping people quit smoking. Text2Quit is an automated, personalized, and interactive mobile health program that sends text messages and e-mails timed around a participant's quit date over the course of 3 months. The text messages include pre- and post-quit educational messages, peer ex-smoker messages, medication reminders and relapse messages, and multiple opportunities for interaction. Study participants were university students (N = 23) enrolled in the Text2Quit program. Participants were surveyed at baseline and at 2 and 4 weeks after enrollment. The majority of participants agreed that they liked the program at 2 and 4 weeks after enrollment (90.5% and 82.3%, respectively). Support for text messages was found to be moderate and higher than that of the e-mail and web components. Of participants, 75% reported reading most or all of the texts. On average, users made 11.8 responses to the texts over a 4-week period, although responses declined after the quit date. The interactive feature for tracking cigarettes was the most used interactive feature, followed by the craving trivia game. This pilot test provides some support for the Text2Quit program. A future iteration of the program will include additional tracking features in both the pre-quit and post-quit protocols and an easier entry into the not-quit protocol. Future studies are recommended that identify the value of the interactive and personalized features that characterize this program.
A pilot randomized controlled trial of automated and counselor-delivered text messages for e-cigarette cessation. [2023]Automated text messaging programs show promise for e-cigarette cessation. Adding live text counseling could make them more engaging. We developed Quit the Vape (QTV), an automated e-cigarette cessation text messaging program, designed to be delivered as stand-alone or with counselor-delivered messages (QTV-C), and evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of QTV and QTV-C.
Smoking cessation support delivered via mobile phone text messaging (txt2stop): a single-blind, randomised trial. [2022]Smoking cessation programmes delivered via mobile phone text messaging show increases in self-reported quitting in the short term. We assessed the effect of an automated smoking cessation programme delivered via mobile phone text messaging on continuous abstinence, which was biochemically verified at 6 months.
How do smokers use a smoking cessation text messaging intervention? [2018]Mobile-phone-based text (SMS) messaging is an effective method for delivering smoking cessation assistance; however, little is known about optimal program use. This paper reports on the use of 2 forms of interaction (reporting changes in quit status and emergency help) among users of QuitTxt, an interactive, automated text messaging advice program. We examined preferences for messaging intensity, duration of use, and their associations with short-term cessation outcome or perceived helpfulness.
Randomized controlled trial of a web-based computer-tailored smoking cessation program as a supplement to nicotine patch therapy. [2015]To assess the efficacy of World Wide Web-based tailored behavioral smoking cessation materials among nicotine patch users.
Virtual Reality Smartphone-Based Intervention for Smoking Cessation: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial on Initial Clinical Efficacy and Adherence. [2020]Obstacles to current tobacco cessation programs include limited access and adherence to effective interventions. Digital interventions offer a great opportunity to overcome these difficulties, yet virtual reality has not been used as a remote and self-administered tool to help increase adherence and effectiveness of digital interventions for tobacco cessation.
Delivery of a smoking cessation induction intervention via virtual reality headset during a dental cleaning. [2021]Smokers who are not motivated to quit are less likely to seek help or utilize medication for cessation, so it is critical to proactively reach them to motivate cessation. This study aims to determine feasibility and satisfaction of a smoking cessation induction intervention via a virtual reality (VR) headset worn during dental cleaning. Participants (n = 23) were adult dental patients who were current smokers. During their teeth cleaning, participants wore a VR headset to watch two 5-min smoking cessation videos, one targeted to smokers who are not ready to quit and one for those who are ready to quit. Questionnaires were administered pre- and postappointment, and 1 month later. Interviews were conducted immediately after the appointment. Implementation did not interfere with care delivery, including instrument manipulation and patient-provider communication. On a 1-7 scale, participants indicated satisfaction with the experience (M = 5.4, SD = 1.3), and a positive impact on their willingness to quit (15 of 22 rated ≥ 6) and their knowledge of the effects of smoking on their health (22 of 23 rated as ≥ 6). Participants were highly satisfied with the video content (M = 4.3; 1-5 scale). When prompted, 82.6% were able to recall three things from the video. One month later, four to five participants reported that they quit smoking (varied by measure) and 14 of 23 intentionally quit smoking ≥ 24 hr. Among nonquitters, motivation to quit increased from baseline to follow up. This study may help guide the integration of virtual reality headset use in the dental setting to promote smoking cessation regardless of motivation to quit.