Way to Quit - Comparative Efficacy, Acceptance and Effectiveness of Health Incentive Structures

Summary

Using the NIH-funded Way to Health platform, the investigators will conduct this smoking cessation randomized controlled trial (RCT) among CVS employees. The investigators will be able to determine the comparative and absolute efficacy and effectiveness of 4 different incentive structures that are each grounded in behavioral economic principles. Additionally, the investigators will measure rates of and reasons for acceptance of each incentive structure, and examine participant characteristics that modify the efficacy and acceptance of different incentive structures.

Conditions

• Tobacco Use Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Usual Care

Participants will receive reimbursements for completing the surveys that are part of the Way To Quit program and for submitting saliva or urine samples at 14 days, 30 days, 6 months, and 12 months (among those eligible).

BEHAVIORAL

Individual Rewards

If participants quit smoking by their target quit date, and that is confirmed by cotinine/anabasine tests, they will receive a monetary award from the study investigators.

BEHAVIORAL

Fixed Deposits

Participants will have to deposit a certain monetary amount of their own money as an incentive to quit smoking. If they quit smoking by their target quit date, and that is confirmed by cotinine/anabasine tests, participants will receive their deposit back. If participants do not quit, their money will be used to support future research studies designed to help people stop smoking. As a motivation to quit smoking, the participant's deposit will be matched by the study investigators in a rate of 3:1.

BEHAVIORAL

Competitive Deposits (Pari-Mutuel)

Groups (or "cohorts") of 6 smokers each will be formed on a rolling basis, linking individuals with target quit dates (day "0's") near each other. Participants will deposit a certain monetary amount (Y) in an account, which will be matched on a rate of 3:1 by the study investigators (M), and the payout for quitting on this arm will be (Y+M) x 6/Q , where Q is the number of quits in the cohort. Again, success will be confirmed by cotinine or anabasine tests, and if participants do not quit, their money will be used to support future research studies designed to help people stop smoking.

BEHAVIORAL

Collaborative Rewards

Groups (or "cohorts") of 6 smokers each will be formed on a rolling basis, linking individuals with target quit dates (day "0's") near each other. If participants quit smoking by their target quit date, and that is confirmed by cotinine or anabasine tests, they will receive a monetary award from the study investigators. On top of that, participants will receive an additional monetary amount for each member of their group who also quits smoking. These participants will interact through a chat room, which will help motivate them to quit smoking.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

  collaborator NIH

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Scott Halpern, MD, Ph.D. · University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care

• Kevin Volpp, MD, Ph.D. · University of Pennsylvania

• Benjamin French, MS, Ph.D. · University of Pennsylvania

• Dylan Small, Ph.D. · University of Pennsylvania

• David Asch, MD, MBA · University of Pennsylvania

• Janet Audrain-McGovern, Ph.D. · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-02-29

Primary Completion

2015-11-30

Completion

2015-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations