A Pilot Study of the Learn, Connect, and Quit Mobile Application

The overarching goal of this study is to develop a novel, effective mobile application for patients to use while waiting in the clinic exam room to see their provider and to access on-line after their visit. The Learn, Connect, and Quit (LCQ) application will present patients with a variety of videos designed to increase their understanding of, and engagement in, evidence-based smoking cessation treatment (e.g., videos that address barriers to cessation and explain treatment options). The LCQ app will also be coordinated within the clinical care system to allow patients to self-refer for smoking treatment and will serve as a prompt to begin a conversation with the provider thereby connecting smokers to evidence-based treatment with minimal staff burden, thus, increasing the feasibility and sustainability of this intervention. This research will pursue the following specific aims:

Specific Aim 1: Develop the Learn, Connect, and Quit mobile application to: 1) present educational and motivational content in an easily accessible manner (i.e., via videos); and 2) provide avenues for smokers to connect to evidence-based treatment (e.g., request a referral to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quitline via the app, initiate a discussion with their provider).

Specific Aim 2: Identify optimal implementation procedures and clinical workflows to facilitate the use of the LCQ app within the clinical setting.

Specific Aim 3: Establish the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the Learn, Connect, and Quit app among smokers in a primary care clinic to support an NIH R01 application.

This research will create an innovative, patient-driven intervention that can be integrated into healthcare systems and leverage the patient wait times in traditional clinical settings to provide motivational content and treatment information to increase: motivation, smoking treatment engagement, and connections with evidence-based treatment resources. This innovative product will then be tested in larger implementation trials with external funding.