Text Messaging and Telephone Counseling for Supporting Post-discharge Quit Attempts

This is an extension of a previous feasibility study (Clinical Trials Registry - NCT02571244). Background: Research suggests that smokers who receive treatment inside the hospital and post-discharge follow up for at least a month is most likely to quit smoking than those who didn't receive any intervention. The current challenge is to know the best way to support post-discharge quit attempts in the Brazilian context. Objective: The aim of this study is compare the effectiveness of personalized text messages (TM) and telephone counseling to support smoking cessation between post discharge patients. Methods: All patients admitted to the University Hospital of Juiz de Fora (HU/UFJF), between 06/2017 to 11/2018, will be asked about the cigarettes consumption in the last 30 days. Smokers patients will receive brief interventions and nicotine replacement therapy during hospitalization. After discharge these patients will be allocated into an intervention or control arm. The intervention group will receive mobile phone TM twice a day up to fifteen days. The control group will receive usual care (four telephone counseling sessions using motivational interviewing approach). Results: At the first and third months, after randomization, the patients will be contacted for smoke abstinence assessment.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 years or older
• Smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days (even a puff)
• Have own mobile phone
• Have received at least one text message in the last year
• Have no problem with the mobile phone signal

Exclusion criteria

• Don't have a mobile phone
• Unstable cognitive or physical condition
• Physical or breath contact restrictions
• Intensive care units