"Text messaging programs for smoking cessation have a reasonably good evidence base," according to Dr. Abroms. "The evidence for smartphone apps is still in its early stages. I would not recommend them as a stand-alone intervention, though many with tracking elements may be useful as part of a comprehensive program. Apps that include games could be good as a distraction from smoking."
A separate study found that an experimental "decision support system" app, created for use by nurses on smartphones and tablets, improved rates of screening and counseling for tobacco use by prompting nurses to screen for tobacco use and offered guideline-based treatment recommendations, reported Kenrick Cato, Ph.D. of Columbia University, New York, and his associates.
The 185 registered nurses who were enrolled in advanced practice degree programs handled 14,115 clinic visits, in which they asked patients about smoking status in 84% of visits and offered cessation counseling to 90% of those who expressed a willingness to stop smoking (Oncol. Nurs. Forum 2014;41:145-52).
That compares favorably with federal U.S. data suggesting that tobacco screening happens in approximately 60% of clinic visits, and fewer than 20% of patients get counseling on quitting, Dr. Cato said in a prepared statement released by the university. The federal Healthy People 2020 program aims for tobacco screening in 69% of office visits and counseling rates of 21%, he said.
If further development of the app confirms that it’s useful, it could light a fire under tobacco screening.
Dr. Abroms designed Text2Quit and receives royalties from sales. Dr. Cato reported having no financial disclosures.
On Twitter @sherryboschert