Smoking Cessation Support for Patients With Rheumatologic Diseases Via WhatsApp

NCT06219551 | Terminated DMC

• 1 other identifier: SCRW
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 220
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Smoking cessation support for patients with rheumatologist diseases is an underestimated issue. In the previous prospective cohort study the investigators determined that with the brief cessation interventions 63.5% of smokers with rheumatologic diseases were willing to quit and the rest 36.4% were not willing. Among the willing group the highest quit rate was detected in the group that admitted to smoking cessation clinic. Therefore to increase the willingness to quit as well as to increase the Access to evidence based tobacco cessation support using new comminication technologies can be relevant. Investigators' aim in this study is to examine the effect of including WhatsApp in the routine smoking cessation practices on the quitting success of active smokers with rheumatic diseases who apply to the Rheumatology outpatient clinic.

Conditions

Tobacco Use Cessation

Keywords

tobacco cessation; rheumatologic diseases; smoking cessation support

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Rate of participants with successful quit attempt

  Successful quitter: sustained abstinence since the target quit date will be asked and validated by exhaled breath carbon monoxide measure.

  3-6 and 12 months after the randomization

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Access to evidence based cessation support

  Within one year after the randomization

Study Arms (2)

Usual care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Usual care arm, smoker patients with rheumatologist diseases will be implemented brief smoking cessation interventions and referred to quit lines or smoking cessation services and also directly contacted to get an appointment from the cessation clinic.

Other: Mobile messages via What's App

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention arm, smoker patients with rheumatologist diseases will be implemented brief tobacco cessation interventions and directly contacted to get an appointment from cessation clinic and will be send periodically motivational and informative text messages regarding tobacco cessation via WhatsApp.

Other: Mobile messages via What's App

Interventions

Mobile messages via What's App OTHER

The information article that was prepared by taking the opinions of academics experienced in adult education, and were prepared as a video by the primary Rheumatologist who performs the randomization and will be shared in the Whatsapp group as information. Additionally, information will be provided once a week regarding the appointment date of the smoking cessation clinic.

Intervention; Usual care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients applying to the rheumatology outpatient clinic
• Those aged 18 and over
• Those who are active smokers
• Those diagnosed with inflammatory rheumatic disease
• Those who gave informed written consent to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Those with active psychiatric disease diagnoses such as psychosis, major depression, schizophrenia among their current diagnoses
• Those with cognitive dysfunction

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Training and Research Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Training and Research Hospital

Rize, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Cheung YT, Chan CH, Lai CK, Chan WF, Wang MP, Li HC, Chan SS, Lam TH. Using WhatsApp and Facebook Online Social Groups for Smoking Relapse Prevention for Recent Quitters: A Pilot Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2015 Oct 22;17(10):e238. doi: 10.2196/jmir.4829.

  PMID: 26494159 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• An example of a comprehensive approach to increase the access to evidence-based tobacco cessation support for smokers with rheumatic diseases

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tobacco Use Cessation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Osman Cüre, M.D

  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Department of Rheumatology

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associated Professor, M.D

Model Details: Randomized controlled, paralel arm, prospective cohort

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 13, 2023
• First Posted: January 23, 2024
• Study Start: November 10, 2023
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2025
• Study Completion: June 30, 2025
• Last Updated: July 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)