We do everything on our phones these days. We work, make plans with friends, or browse the internet. What if our phones could also help us quit smoking?
At Matthews Internal Medicine, we specialize in smoking cessation programs. Helping our patients quit can make a huge difference in their overall health, but quitting is hard. Most smokers will take any help they can get. That’s why recent research on a text message based smoking cessation option caught our eye. Could this be the future of smoking cessation?
How the Study Worked
The “Happy Quit” study focused on Chinese smokers. If you think that America has issues with cigarette smoking, we actually have nothing on China at the moment. They account for an astounding forty percent or so of global cigarette consumption. Unfortunately, there are so many people in China and few medical professionals specializing in smoking cessation. This study wanted to see if there was another way to help people quit.
More than 1,300 adult smokers who wanted to quit smoking were targeted for this study. Each signed up for text messages, with three different groups being made to gauge the effectiveness of such a program. There was a high-frequency group, a low-frequency group, which received fewer messages, and a control group that received no messages at all. This study went on for twelve weeks, and at the end the researchers got to see how many from each group quit.
How Effective Was It?
After the trial concluded, the researchers examined each group to see if they were able to quite smoking. For the control group, nearly two percent quit without the aid of any text messaging at all. Among those who were in the low-frequency group, six percent were able to quit. Finally, among those in the high-frequency messaging group, 6.5 percent were able to quit.
These may not seem like huge numbers, but in tandem with other smoking cessation efforts text message based programs might be able to make a huge difference.
Is it the Future?
So is this program the future of smoking cessation, or just a blip on the radar? While the percentages of people quitting may seem low, quitting smoking is incredibly difficult. With some tweaks, a text message based program could become even more effective. At the same time, it solves the problem that many people have in some countries. Sometimes a medical professional that has an expertise in helping people quit smoking just isn’t conveniently located. In these situations and in larger countries like China, a text message based program could make a difference. This could also be combined with telemedicine, other emerging technologies, and different forms of treatment to become even more effective over time. We look forward to seeing what becomes of this new smoking cessation option.
Smoking Cessation Help from Your Local Matthews, NC Internist
Smoking cigarettes can cause so many health problems. Instead of rolling the die and risking the development of heart disease, cancer, and other ailments, visit us at Matthews Internal Medicine and look into a smoking cessation program. We want to help you get healthier and live a longer, happier life. Contact us at (704) 750-2329 today.