Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy for Veterans Who Smoke Tobacco and Are Experiencing Homelessness (New HART)

July 15, 2026 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development
Seventy to eighty percent of Veterans experiencing homelessness (VEH) smoke, which is four times the rate of the U.S. population and 2.5 times higher than among impoverished Americans. Smoking- related deaths among persons experiencing homelessness occur at double the rate seen among more stably housed people. The purpose of this study study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to help Veterans experiencing homelessness stop smoking. The intervention, called Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy + (ART+), includes telehealth-based counseling, smoking cessation aids, and mobile contingency management (mCM). mCM is an intervention in which participants are paid for smoking abstinence. 120 Veterans who smoke cigarettes and are experiencing homelessness will be randomly assigned to receive either ART+ or usual smoking cessation care. The primary outcome to be evaluated is the rate at which Veterans assigned to the ART+ condition report smoking abstinence and have their abstinence verified using salivary testing.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Significance to VA: Seventy to eighty percent of Veterans experiencing homelessness (VEH) smoke, which is four times the rate of the U.S. population and 2.5 times higher than among impoverished Americans. Smoking- related deaths among persons experiencing homelessness occur at double the rate seen among more stably housed people. While there are numerous challenges to smoking cessation among Veterans experiencing homelessness, four in five homeless smokers report interest in quitting. Innovation and Impact: The investigators recently developed and evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention called Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy (ART), which combined five sessions of telehealth-based cognitive-behavioral therapy, provision of smoking cessation aids, and four weeks of mobile contingency management (mCM). The investigators have added an additional CM period of eight weeks and opportunities for booster calls and repeated quit attempts, resulting in an intervention called ART+ to improve outcomes over time. The innovative use of web-based platform technology in the current proposal will remove numerous barriers that often prevent smokers experiencing homelessness from accessing high-quality, evidence-based care. There is tremendous inequity in smoking-related outcomes for VEH. The innovative use of mobile health technology in the current proposal will remove numerous barriers that often prevent Veterans who smoke and experience homelessness from accessing high- quality, evidence-based care. Specific Aims: Aim 1: Evaluate the comparative effectiveness of ART+ on bio-verified abstinence outcomes at three-, six-and 12-month follow-ups. The primary endpoint will be bioverified prolonged abstinence at the six-month follow-up. Aim 2: Assess the relative cost-effectiveness of ART+ to VA standard care smoking cessation on quality adjusted life years (QALY). Aim 3: Qualitatively evaluate implementation determinants of ART+ within Specialty Smoking Clinics and VA primary care for VEH programs. Methodology: 120 Veterans experiencing homelessness who smoke cigarettes will be randomly assigned to ART+ or to VA standard smoking cessation care. Self-reported and bioverified abstinence at six months are the primary outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analyses will be performed using QALY as the effectiveness measure. Rapid qualitative analytic methods will be used to evaluate implementation determinants of ART+ following enrollment of all study participants. Participants for the qualitative analysis will include clinicians and clinical support staff who provide care to Veterans experiencing homelessness, designated VA operations partners, and VA Tobacco Treatment Specialists. Purposive sampling will be used to identify potential participants and a structured interview guide based upon domains from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) will be administered. The investigators will use rapid qualitative analysis to answer the key qualitative research question: "What determinants will impact implementation of ART+?" The benefit of decreasing tobacco use (Aim 1) among VEH who smoke is tremendous as it will prevent significant morbidity and mortality. Moreover, if ART+ is shown to be cost effective (Aim 2) and implementation determinants are identified (Aim 3), the use of mobile phones as a platform to provide behavioral incentives has the potential to transform the delivery of smoking cessation care. Path to Translation/Implementation: Cost-effectiveness analysis (Aim 2) will help guide implementation decisions. Qualitative evaluation of the implementation determinants of ART+ within Specialty Smoking Clinics and VA primary care for VEH programs (Aim 3) will provide important information on effective implementation of ART+.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705-3875
        • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Jean C Beckham, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Are homeless
  • Smoke at least 5 cigarettes daily with CO indicating current smoking at time of screening assessment
  • Are willing to try to quit smoking in next 30 days

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Have uncontrolled psychotic symptoms
  • Have active substance dependence other than nicotine (participants in partial remission with at least one month sobriety will be included)
  • Have severely impaired hearing or speech

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy +
Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy +, or ART+, includes five sessions and several booster sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation, two forms of nicotine replacement therapy plus bupropion or varenicline, and mobile contingency management for smoking cessation.
Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Smoking Cessation
Five core sessions of CBT plus up to four monthly booster sessions designed to help Veterans prepare to quit smoking, make a quit attempt, and prevent relapse to smoking.
Other Names:
  • CBT
Drug: Nicotine Replacement Therapy
NRT is a group of over-the-counter medications designed to help users quit smoking. Standard of care often involves use of nicotine patch plus one rescue method (either gum or lozenge).
Other Names:
  • NRT, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenge, nicotine patch, NicoDerm, Nicorette
Drug: Bupropion
Bupropion is an FDA-approved prescription smoking cessation aid. Participants will be prescribed 150-300 mg.
Other Names:
  • Zyban
Drug: Varenicline
Varenicline is an FDA-approved prescription smoking cessation aid. Participants will be 0.5 to 2 mg.
Other Names:
  • Chantix
Behavioral: Mobile Contingency Management
Smoking abstinence will be intermittently reinforced. For each carbon monoxide (CO) reading that a participant provides that suggest smoking abstinence, the participant will earn spins on a virtual prize wheel that has financial prizes.
Other Names:
  • mCM, CM
Active Comparator: Standard Care Condition
Standard Care Condition will involve referral to local VA clinic-based smoking cessation care. This care often includes pharmacotherapy, counseling options, and/or use of a telephone-based, texting-based or app-based smoking cessation program.
Drug: Nicotine Replacement Therapy
NRT is a group of over-the-counter medications designed to help users quit smoking. Standard of care often involves use of nicotine patch plus one rescue method (either gum or lozenge).
Other Names:
  • NRT, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenge, nicotine patch, NicoDerm, Nicorette
Drug: Bupropion
Bupropion is an FDA-approved prescription smoking cessation aid. Participants will be prescribed 150-300 mg.
Other Names:
  • Zyban
Drug: Varenicline
Varenicline is an FDA-approved prescription smoking cessation aid. Participants will be 0.5 to 2 mg.
Other Names:
  • Chantix
Behavioral: Clinic-Based Smoking Cessation Counseling
Participants assigned to the usual care condition may participate in group counseling for smoking cessation, which can also include use of phone-based smoking cessation resources such as a telephone quit line, a texting program, and a smoking cessation app.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of participants whose self-report of prolonged smoking abstinence is bioverified
Time Frame: 6-month follow-up, about six months after baseline
Prolonged abstinence is defined as 30 days abstinent. For participants who are not using NRT/vapes/e-cigarettes at follow-up, abstinence will be based upon: 1) self-reported abstinence; 2) no biochemical samples indicating smoking (CO ≥ 5 ppm or cotinine ≥ 6 ng/mL); and 3) at least one sample indicating abstinence (CO < 5 ppm and/or cotinine < 6 ng/mL)
6-month follow-up, about six months after baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of participants whose self-report of prolonged smoking abstinence is bioverified
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Prolonged abstinence is defined as 30 days abstinent. For participants who are not using NRT/vapes/e-cigarettes at follow-up, abstinence will be based upon: 1) self-reported abstinence; 2) no biochemical samples indicating smoking (CO ≥ 5 ppm or cotinine ≥ 6 ng/mL); and 3) at least one sample indicating abstinence (CO < 5 ppm and/or cotinine < 6 ng/mL)
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Number of participants whose self-report of prolonged smoking abstinence is bioverified
Time Frame: 12-month follow-up, about twelve months after baseline
Prolonged abstinence is defined as 30 days abstinent. For participants who are not using NRT/vapes/e-cigarettes at follow-up, abstinence will be based upon: 1) self-reported abstinence; 2) no biochemical samples indicating smoking (CO ≥ 5 ppm or cotinine ≥ 6 ng/mL); and 3) at least one sample indicating abstinence (CO < 5 ppm and/or cotinine < 6 ng/mL
12-month follow-up, about twelve months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report 7-day point prevalence abstinence
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
7-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as no smoking in the prior 7 days
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report 7-day point prevalence abstinence
Time Frame: 6-month follow-up, about six months after baseline
7-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as no smoking in the prior 7 days
6-month follow-up, about six months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report 7-day point prevalence abstinence
Time Frame: 12-month follow-up, about twelve months after baseline
7-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as no smoking in the prior 7 days
12-month follow-up, about twelve months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report 30-day point prevalence abstinence
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
7-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as no smoking in the prior 30 days
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report 30-day point prevalence abstinence
Time Frame: 6-month follow-up, about six months after baseline
7-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as no smoking in the prior 30 days
6-month follow-up, about six months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report 30-day point prevalence abstinence
Time Frame: 12-month follow-up, about twelve months after baseline
30-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as no smoking in the prior 30 days
12-month follow-up, about twelve months after baseline
Number of participants who self-report early continuous abstinence
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Early continuous abstinence will be defined as reporting two weeks of continuous abstinence during the first four weeks after the quit day
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio
Time Frame: 12 months post quit, about 12 months after baseline
Measure of cost-effectiveness; costs as the numerator and effectiveness as measured by quality-adjusted life years (QALY) as the denominator.
12 months post quit, about 12 months after baseline
Percentage of carbon monoxide reading completion by participants in ART+ intervention group
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Patient intervention utilization will be measured by the percentage of prompted carbon monoxide readings that participants in the ART+ condition complete during the treatment period.
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Number of behavioral cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions completed by participants in ART+ intervention group
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Patient intervention utilization will be measured by the number of behavioral cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions completed by participants in the ART+ condition during the treatment period
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Number of participants in ART+ intervention group who withdraw or are lost to contact during the treatment period
Time Frame: 3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline
Patient intervention utilization will be measured by the number of participants in ART+ intervention group who withdraw or are lost to contact during the treatment period.
3-month follow-up, about three months after baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
VA Office of Research and Development

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jean C Beckham, PhD, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 15, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 15, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 15, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HSR2-003-25M
  • 1924743 (Other Identifier: Durham VA Medical Center IRB)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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