New program may help improve nicotine patch
New program may help improve nicotine patch
Computer software custom designs materials
Smokers who use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to quit smoking will significantly enhance their chances of success by using a self-help program tailored to their individual needs rather than standard materials, according to a study in the June 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.1
The Committed Quitters program (CQP) uses patented computer software to develop customized behavioral materials that help smokers meet the challenge of staying smoke-free, according to study author Saul Shiffman, PhD. He is the director of the Smoking Research Group at the University of Pittsburgh.
"When a person decides to quit smoking using nicotine replacement therapy, in this case Nicorette nicotine gum, having personalized self-help materials, like the Committed Quitters program, significantly improves their success, compared to relying on one-size-fits-all’ materials," Shiffman says. "These tailored materials make a difference in a person’s ability to quit smoking."
Smokers enrolled in the CQP showed a 56% increase in quitting smoking at 12 weeks vs. those who used only nicotine gum and standard materials, according to the study. Moreover, more than one-third (36.2%) of the enrollees were abstinent after six weeks with the help of the program and Nicorette compared with only one-quarter (24.7%) who quit without the CQP.
Specifically, abstinence rates at six and 12 weeks among the 3,627 smokers using nicotine gum in the study were significantly higher for those who received the personalized CQP materials (36.2% and 27.6%, respectively) compared to those just using the standard audio tape and user’s guide prepackaged with the gum (24.7% and 17.7%, respectively). While the smoking abstinence rates dropped from six to 12 weeks, the people using CQP still had significantly higher success.1
Based on cognitive behavioral approaches of smoking cessation and the participant’s personal information, the CQP materials are designed to support the participant’s goal of quitting smoking.
Information relating to each smoker’s history, cessation experience, target quit date, and expected difficulties quitting helped to tailor the materials for a successful individualized quit attempt.
Soon after quitting, participants in the study’s two CQP groups received their materials, including a six-week calendar with weekly tips for quitting and maintenance, health information, testimonials from others who quit, and prompts to comply with the NRT medication.
The calendar contained specific information such as their target quit date, tailored health information, and week-by-week advice for facing the challenges of quitting. Subsequent mailings also had personalized information aimed at supporting their cessation efforts.
The study was sponsored by SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare, which manufactures Nicorette nicotine gum and NicoDerm CQ, the nicotine patch. Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of CQP by randomly assigning into the three treatment groups smokers who had purchased 2 mg or 4 mg nicotine polacrilex gum (Nicorette) and called the CQP toll-free enrollment line.
Of the participants: about 54% were female, had smoked for an average of 22 years, and 91% had tried previously to quit. Before quitting, they averaged about 26 cigarettes per day, having the first one about 15 minutes after waking up (an indicator of tobacco dependence), on average, and had tried previously to quit about five times. The average age was about 41 years, but ranged from 18 to 84.
Millions more to reach
"Traditional clinics have not reached even a small fraction of the millions who try to quit smoking each year," Shiffman says. "With the increased awareness of health benefits and aggressive marketing of over-the-counter smoking cessation medications, the use of pharmacological therapy has dramatically increased. Making effective behavioral treatment similarly available on a mass scale is likely to have a significant public health impact."
Enrollment in CQP is available at no charge by mail or on-line with the purchase of Nicorette or NicoDerm CQ at http://www. committed quitters.com. For physicians and others who want to help smokers quit, but may not have the time or the skills for intensive counseling, CQP offers an efficient and effective smoking cessation support system.
Reference
1. Shiffman S, Paty J. The efficacy of computer-tailored smoking cessation material as a supplement to nicotine polacrilex gum therapy. Arch Intern Med 2000; 160:1,675-1,681.
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