AI-powered Chatbot vs. Human Counselors in Smoking Cessation

Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Chatbot vs. Human Counselors in Smoking Cessation

This study aims to explore the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of AI-powered chatbot support in community smokers.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Smoking Cessation; Mobile Health
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: 5A's/5R's advice; Other: Brief leaflet on health warning and smoking cessation; Other: Self-help smoking cessation booklet; Behavioral: AI-powered chatbot support; Behavioral: Counselor individual support

Detailed Description

Smoking cessation remains one of the most significant public health challenges worldwide, with tobacco use being a leading cause of preventable death and disease. Despite extensive efforts, the success rates of smoking cessation programs remain low, necessitating innovative approaches to support individuals in their journey to quit smoking. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has opened new possibilities in healthcare, including the development of AI-powered chatbots that assist individuals in behavior change, such as quitting smoking.

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of AI-powered chatbot that simulates human counselors, compared to traditional human counseling in promoting smoking cessation among community smokers. The AI-powered chatbot, equipped with personalized interactions and real-time support, offers scalable and cost-effective assistance, potentially making it an accessible alternative to human counseling. However, human counselors provide empathy, tailored advice, and a nuanced understanding of human behavior that AI may not fully replicate. This study will explore which approach is more effective in helping individuals achieve long-term smoking cessation.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 300
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Xue Weng; Phone Number: 3621259; Email: xueweng@bnu.edu.cn

Study Locations

• China
  • Guangdong
    • Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, 519087
      • Beijing Normal University
      • Contact: Xue Weng; Email: xueweng@bnu.edu.cn

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. aged 18 and above, reside in Zhuhai for the next 6 months;
2. smoke at least 1 cigarette or use e-cigarettes daily;
3. Having a smartphone and a WeChat account, being able to use WeChat skillfully.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Smokers who have communication barrier (either physically or cognitively);
2. Smokers who are currently participating in other SC programmes or services

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: AI support group; AI-powered chatbot support+ 5A's/5R's advice + health warning leaflet+ Self-help booklet	Behavioral: 5A's/5R's advice; 5A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) for smokers who are ready to quit, and 5R's (relevance, risks, rewards, roadblocks, and repetition) for smokers who are not ready to quit.; Other: Brief leaflet on health warning and smoking cessation; The contents of the leaflet include the absolute risk of smoking, diseases caused by active and second-hand smoking, horrible pictorial warnings of the health consequences of active and second-hand smoking, and the benefits of quitting.; Other: Self-help smoking cessation booklet; The contents include information about the benefits of quitting, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, misperceptions of quitting, etc.; Behavioral: AI-powered chatbot support; Participants will receive three months of AI-powered chatbot, equipped with personalized interactions and real-time support, via WeChat.
Experimental: Counselor support group; Counselor individual support+ 5A's/5R's advice + health warning leaflet+ Self-help booklet	Behavioral: 5A's/5R's advice; 5A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) for smokers who are ready to quit, and 5R's (relevance, risks, rewards, roadblocks, and repetition) for smokers who are not ready to quit.; Other: Brief leaflet on health warning and smoking cessation; The contents of the leaflet include the absolute risk of smoking, diseases caused by active and second-hand smoking, horrible pictorial warnings of the health consequences of active and second-hand smoking, and the benefits of quitting.; Other: Self-help smoking cessation booklet; The contents include information about the benefits of quitting, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, misperceptions of quitting, etc.; Behavioral: Counselor individual support; Participants will receive three months of counselor-led individual support via WeChat. The regular messages and instant messaging on psychosocial support aim to provide cessation advice, increase self-efficacy and confidence, and social support and behavioral capacity of quitting.
Active Comparator: Control group; 5A's/5R's advice + health warning leaflet+ Self-help booklet	Behavioral: 5A's/5R's advice; 5A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) for smokers who are ready to quit, and 5R's (relevance, risks, rewards, roadblocks, and repetition) for smokers who are not ready to quit.; Other: Brief leaflet on health warning and smoking cessation; The contents of the leaflet include the absolute risk of smoking, diseases caused by active and second-hand smoking, horrible pictorial warnings of the health consequences of active and second-hand smoking, and the benefits of quitting.; Other: Self-help smoking cessation booklet; The contents include information about the benefits of quitting, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, misperceptions of quitting, etc.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Biochemical validated quit rate at 6 months follow-up	The primary outcomes are biochemically validated quit rate (exhaled carbon monoxide < 4 ppm or salivary cotinine < 30 ng/ml)	6 months follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported 7-day point prevalence quit rate	Self-reported 7-day point prevalence quit rate in the two groups	3 and 6 months follow-up
Smoking reduction rate	Rate of smoking reduction by at least half of baseline amount in the two groups	3 and 6 months follow-up
Eligibility rate	the percentage of eligible smokers out of the total number of smokers screened	baseline
Consent rate	the percentage of eligible smokers who agree to participate out of the total number of eligible smokers	baseline
Percentage of Participant Engagement with E-Messages and Counselor Chats	This outcome measures the percentage of participants who engage with the intervention by reading e-messages and responding to counselor chat messages at least once during the 3-month follow-up period.	3 months follow-up
Biochemical validated quit rate at 3 months follow-up	biochemically validated quit rate (exhaled carbon monoxide < 4 ppm or salivary cotinine < 30 ng/ml)	3 months follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Beijing Normal University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 20, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 22, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 26, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 26, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 22, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: AI-powered cessation support

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No