“At least someone thinks I’m doing well”: a real-world evaluation of the quit-smoking app StopCoach for lower socio-economic status smokers

Addiction Science & Clinical Practice

Bas van den Putte¹  Jamie Brown²  Sander Hermsen³  Eline Heemskerk⁴  Janneke S. Korst⁵  Kristiene G. Oosting⁵  Niels H. Chavannes⁶  Eline Meijer⁶  Marc C. Willemsen⁷ 

[1] Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK;SPECTRUM Collaboration, London, UK;OnePlanet Research Center, Imec NL, Wageningen, The Netherlands;Pharos Dutch Center of Expertise On Health Disparities, Utrecht, The Netherlands;Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands;Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands;National eHealth Living Lab, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands;The Netherlands Expertise Centre for Tobacco Control, Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands;

关键词: Socio-economic status;    Smoking;    eHealth;    Blended care;    Real-world evaluation;    Implementation;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13722-021-00255-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSmoking is more prevalent and persistent among lower socio-economic status (SES) compared with higher-SES groups, and contributes greatly to SES-based health inequities. Few interventions exist that effectively help lower-SES smokers quit. This study evaluated “De StopCoach”, a mobile phone delivered eHealth intervention targeted at lower-SES smokers based on the evidence-based StopAdvisor, in a real-world setting (five municipalities) in The Netherlands in 2019–2020.MethodWe conducted individual semi-structured interviews with project leaders, healthcare professionals, and participating smokers (N = 22), and examined log data from the app (N = 235). For practical reasons, SES of app users was not measured. Qualitative data were analysed using the Framework Approach, with the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as theoretical models.ResultsQualitative data showed that factors from the Intervention and Setting domains were most important for the implementation. StopCoach seemed suitable for lower-SES smokers in terms of performance and effort expectancy, especially when integrated with regular smoking cessation counseling (SCC). Key barriers to implementation of the app were limited integration of the app in SCC programs in practice, difficulty experienced by project leaders and healthcare professionals to engage the local community, and barriers to SCC more generally (e.g., perceived resistance to quitting in patients) that prevented healthcare professionals from offering the app to smokers. Quantitative data showed that 48% of app users continued using the app after the preparation phase and pre-quit day, and that 33% of app users had attempted to quit. Both app adherence and quit attempts were more likely if smokers also received SCC from a professional coach. Posthoc analyses suggest that adherence is related to higher likelihood of a quit attempt among participants with and without a professional coach.ConclusionsSmokers, healthcare professionals and project leaders indicated in the interviews that the StopCoach app would work best when combined with SCC. It also appears from app log that app adherence and quit attempts by app users can be facilitated by combining the app with face-to-face SCC. As such, blended care appears promising for helping individual smokers quit, as it combines the best of regular SCC and eHealth. Further research on blended care for lower-SES smokers is needed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY