NCT03492645

Brief Summary

The goal of the proposed project is to design and assess the acceptability and usability of a mobile technology and telephone-facilitated treatment to improve treatment engagement in adult smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Smokers with PTSD face high rates of treatment failure and require tailored strategies that address both PTSD symptoms and smoking urges. McFall and Saxon designed a protocol combining office-based therapy plus evidence-based pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation that doubled quit rates in veteran smokers with PTSD. However, high rates of attrition limited efficacy. The investigators aim to enhance scalability and engagement in the McFall/ Saxon protocol by (1) adapting the treatment to be delivered over the video or telephone and (2) leveraging innovations in technology by incorporating a mobile application targeting PTSD and smoking and a mobile carbon monoxide (CO) monitor into the protocol. The investigators propose a mixed methods study in which the investigators will adapt the office-based treatment into a technology and telephone-facilitated intervention and conduct a pilot RCT of the modified intervention with 20 veterans with PTSD. At the outset of the study, the study team will modify the original treatment manual in order for it to be delivered via video or telephone. The investigators will then conduct a pilot RCT in which 20 veterans with PTSD will be randomized to receive the modified protocol (intervention condition; n=10) or the original office-based protocol (control condition, n=10). Main outcomes are quantitative and qualitative data about the acceptability of the intervention and its individual components, and treatment retention at Week 8. Secondary outcomes are 7-day bioverified point-prevalence cigarette abstinence, PTSD symptoms, and levels of nicotine dependence at follow-up. Results will inform a larger RCT to examine efficacy of the intervention in promoting quit attempts in smokers with PTSD.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
20

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Dec 2018

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 2, 2018

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 10, 2018

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

December 6, 2018

Completed
9 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

August 23, 2019

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 23, 2019

Completed
Last Updated

September 30, 2019

Status Verified

September 1, 2019

Enrollment Period

9 months

First QC Date

April 2, 2018

Last Update Submit

September 26, 2019

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

  • System Usability Scale (SUS) for iCO monitor and Stay Quit Coach (SQC) App

    The SUS is a brief, reliable and valid instrument to measure perceptions of usability of technology devices. Items are rated on a scale from 0-5. An SUS total score is calculated by summing item ratings, and then multiplied the sum by 2.5. The maximum score on the SUS is 100, with higher scores reflecting greater usability. We will administer the SUS to the intervention condition only. Mean usability score will be reported.

    Week 8

  • Acceptability questionnaire

    Participants (in the intervention condition only) will complete a questionnaire developed by our team to rate the intervention protocol from 1-10 in terms of perceived helpfulness, understandability, and likelihood of use. The mean score (i.e., average of item ratings) will be reported for the participants in the intervention condition. Higher scores represent greater acceptability.

    Week 8

  • Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8

    The CSQ-8 is an eight-item instrument designed to measure satisfaction with an clinical intervention. Items are rated on a scale from 1-4 and summed to for an CSQ-8 total score. Scores range from 8-32, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction. We will administer the CSQ-8 to the intervention condition only. Mean satisfaction score will be reported.

    Week 8

  • Total number of treatment sessions completed

    We will record attendance at each session Weeks 1-8 in both arms.

    Week 1-8

Secondary Outcomes (4)

  • PTSD Checklist (PCL-5)

    Weeks 0 & 8

  • Number of cigarettes smoked

    Weeks 0 & 8

  • Carbon monoxide levels

    Weeks 0 & 8

  • Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores

    Weeks 0 & 8

Study Arms (2)

Office Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR
Behavioral: Office-based treatment protocol

Telephone Group

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Telephone-and technology-facilitated treatment protocol

Interventions

1. 8 video or telephone counseling sessions targeting PTSD symptoms related to smoking lapse. The first of these sessions will last approximately 45-60 minutes, and the remaining 7 sessions will last 20-30 minutes. 2. Use of the Stay Quit Coach (SQC) app between sessions. SQC is a public domain, no-cost mobile app designed by our co-investigators at the National Center for PTSD to complement the IC protocol with evidence-based tools to support smoking cessation, such as motivational messaging and coping tools for managing PTSD symptoms associated with smoking lapse. 3. Use of the Covita Bedfont iCO Smokerlyzer, a mobile carbon monoxide (CO) monitor, compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, that provides CO readings to the user at any time in order to self-monitor progress in quitting. The Covita iCO mobile app is used with the iCO Smoerlyzer to display CO readings.

Telephone Group

Weekly face-to-face sessions using the unmodified treatment manual developed by McFall and Saxon, a protocol combining office-based therapy plus evidence-based pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation that doubled quit rates in veteran smokers with PTSD.

Office Group

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 69 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • are a veteran ages 18-69 meeting lifetime criteria for PTSD using the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) as assessed by the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview
  • have smoked at least five cigarettes per day on at least 15 of 30 days before screening
  • are interested in smoking cessation
  • are willing to receive smoking cessation interventions
  • are a smartphone (iOS or Android) user

You may not qualify if:

  • women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
  • current and unstable psychotic or bipolar disorder (potential participants whose symptoms are treated and stable may participate)
  • current severe psychiatric symptoms or psychiatric instability
  • current severe substance use disorder
  • cognitive impairment assessed by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Score below 23

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

San Francisco VA Medical Center

San Francisco, California, 94121, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Smoking Cessation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health BehaviorBehavior

Study Officials

  • Ellen Herbst, MD

    University of California, San Francisco

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 2, 2018

First Posted

April 10, 2018

Study Start

December 6, 2018

Primary Completion

August 23, 2019

Study Completion

August 23, 2019

Last Updated

September 30, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-09

Locations