Tobacco Tactics Website for Veteran Smokers

The purpose of this study is to develop an evidence-based Tobacco Tactics website tailored to veterans based on an intervention tested in the VA.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Smoking
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Tobacco Tactics website

Detailed Description

Despite the detrimental effects of smoking, approximately 33% of veterans continue to smoke compared to approximately 21% of the general population. While efficacious cessation interventions are available, implementation of cessation interventions remains a challenge and new intervention strategies are needed to reach veterans. VA cessation providers recently met in Atlanta and one recommendation was to develop a cessation website for veterans. The evidence-based Tobacco Tactics website will be designed, pre-tested, and pilot tested as an intervention to assist veteran smokers to quit smoking. The efficacy of the website will then be tested in a subsequent randomized control trial (RCT). If the website proves efficacious, it would decrease morbidity and mortality among veterans, decrease face-to-face cessation intervention time for providers, and reach veterans in areas all over the country, perhaps through the VA "My Healthy Vet" website. This is a Phase 1 behavioral clinical trial designed to develop and pilot test a web-based Tobacco Tactics intervention tailored to veteran smokers. First, we will outline the specific content areas to be addressed. Second, we will develop the Tobacco Tactics intervention with our web designer in accordance with VA Web Operations. Third, a member of the research team will go through the website with the 5 veteran smokers obtaining feedback and noting any problems that occur. Fourth, with human studies approval, we will pilot test the impact of the intervention with 9 veteran smokers recruited to quit smoking using the Tobacco Tactics website. A research nurse will:

1. be available by phone to answer any questions;
2. collect qualitative data on veterans use of the Tobacco Tactics website; and,
3. note the 30 day quit rate.

Formative evaluation during pre-testing will include qualitative feedback on the:

1. ability to accomplish tasks;
2. ability to accomplish goals with skill and speed;
3. ability to operate the system; and
4. satisfaction.

For the 9 veteran smokers that actually try to use the Tobacco Tactics website to quit smoking, we will be able to determine:

1. the number of times they signed onto the website;
2. the time spent on the website; and
3. the number of times each module was accessed.

Impact evaluation will be the 30 day quit rates of the 9 veteran smokers that agree to use the website.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 9
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48105
      • VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Veteran,
• Screen Positive for Current Smoking,
• Greater than 18 Years of Age,
• Access to the Internet

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-English Speaking,
• Have Unstable Physical or Psychiatric/Mental Conditions

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Tobacco Tactics Website; Nine veteran smokers who will pilot test the Tobacco Tactics website	Behavioral: Tobacco Tactics website; Pilot test the Tobacco Tactics website tailored to the needs of veteran smokers

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self Reported 30 Day Smoking Quit Rate	Impact evaluation was the 30-day quit rates of the 9 veteran smokers that agreed to use the website.	30 days post intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Feedback to Evaluate the Website	Formative evaluation during pre-testing included qualitative feedback on the: 1) ability to accomplish tasks; 2) ability to accomplish goals with skill and speed; 3) ability to operate the system; and 4) satisfaction. For the 9 veteran smokers that actually tried to use the Tobacco Tactics website to quit smoking, we were able to determine: 1) the number of times they signed onto the website; 2) the time spent on the website; and 3) the number of times each module was accessed.	30 days post intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sonia A. Duffy, PhD MS RN, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Duffy SA, Fowler KE, Flanagan PS, Ronis DL, Ewing LA, Waltje AH. The development of the tobacco tactics website. JMIR Res Protoc. 2013 Jun 28;2(2):e22. doi: 10.2196/resprot.2445.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 22, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 23, 2008
• First Posted (Estimate): April 24, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): April 28, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 6, 2015
• Last Verified: June 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Intervention Studies; Smoking Cessation; Internet; Health Services Accessibility
• Other Study ID Numbers: SHP 08-197