Help Shape the Future of Smoking Cessation Treatment
- Rachael Joyner
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
A research team at Wake Forest University School of Medicine is recruiting clinicians and other healthcare professionals for a study looking at smoking cessation interventions in hopes of building better digital tools to help people quit
Research so far has shown mixed results on the effectiveness of smartphone app-based smoking cessation interventions. A recent meta-analysis looking at 9 randomized controlled trials, pooling data from nearly 13,000 adults in the US and 5 other developed countries, did not show higher quit rates with smartphone apps when compared to other modalities. However, the study found that the efficacy of smartphone-based interventions increased when combined with pharmacotherapy-based treatment.
Dr. Roger Vilardaga, a licensed clinical psychologist, and his team at the Access to Behavioral Health for All (ABHA) lab at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston Salem, NC, hope to improve mobile phone app-based interventions for smoking cessation when used in combination with pharmacotherapy. A former associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University, Dr. Vilardaga developed several digital interventions, including Learn to Quit, the first NIH-funded digital therapeutic designed to deliver smoking cessation treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses. The goal of their current work at the ABHA lab is to create greater access to evidence-based, effective, and scalable digital interventions to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in different populations.
Dr. Roger Vilardaga, associate professor in the Department of Implementation Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is the Principal Investigator on the Digital Access study, whose aim is to understand the perspectives of healthcare professionals implementing smoking cessation services and create strategies to ensure greater access to health interventions across different patient groups.
Dr. Vilardaga and his team are currently recruiting healthcare professionals who work in primary care, mental health, smoking cessation, or community health care settings for their Digital Access Study. The aim of this study is to understand the implementation, access, and utilization of smoking cessation services in clinics and healthcare centers, particularly for people living with mental health conditions. They are especially hoping to recruit mental health and primary care professionals.
They will conduct a 30-minute interview with healthcare professionals, who directly serve patients who may be interested in quitting smoking. Participants will receive a $50 gift card for their time on the study.
Who is eligible to enroll?
Primary care providers, pulmonologists, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, case managers, smoking cessation counselors, and other roles directly serving patients who could be interested in quitting smoking
What does the study entail?
A 30-minute interview via phone or videoconference with an optional, brief survey after the interview
How do I enroll or let others know how to enroll?
Complete this form https://redcap.link/DIEQ. You can also call 336-448-3603 or e-mail digital-equity-study@wakehealth.edu.
In addition to recruiting for the 30-minute interview, the ABHA team is recruiting practice managers, clinic administrators, or directors to complete a 15 to 30-minute online survey, providing information about the general operations of their clinic or health center. Clinics will receive a $50 gift card for completing the survey. For details on how to enroll, visit https://redcap.link/clinic.org.survey.
Study recruitment materials: Click on the icons below to download PDF flyers that you can use in your practice to recruit study participants for both of these studies.
About the Author
Rachael Joyner, DNP, FNP-BC, APRN, is a family nurse practitioner with the Duke Smoking Cessation Program. She holds a National Certification in Nicotine and Tobacco Treatment and received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Florida. She loves working collaboratively with patients to help them become tobacco free.
About the Duke-UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program
The Duke-UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program is a collaboration of three leaders in tobacco treatment, education, and research--the Duke Smoking Cessation Program, the University of North Carolina Tobacco Treatment Program, and the North Carolina Division of Public Health--and has been making TTS education accessible to medical, behavioral and public health professionals in North Carolina and beyond since 2016.
The primary aim of the program is to train health professionals to provide evidence-based treatment for tobacco use and dependence. Our comprehensive tobacco treatment specialist training and intensive CE Short Courses provide an impactful education experience for a wide variety of professionals, including clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, public health policy-makers, and more.
Visit our website at www.dukeunctts.com to learn more about our upcoming training programs or access resources for tobacco treatment professionals. Contact our office at cttsprogram@duke.edu or 919-668-5042 with any inquiries!
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