Evaluating Mobile Contingency Management to Help Veterans Quit Smoking During Lung Cancer Screening or Cancer Care at VA Clinics

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate a program called Contingency Management CM to help Veterans who smoke and are undergoing lung cancer screening or cancer care at VA clinics. Smoking during cancer screening or treatment is linked to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs. The study will assess the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of CM, a behavioral therapy that uses rewards to encourage quitting smoking, compared with usual care and counseling. The project includes three phases. First, focus groups with Veterans and healthcare staff will develop a mobile CM program using their feedback. Next, a pilot study will test the feasibility of the mobile CM combined with counseling and medication over five weeks in 20 Veterans. If successful, a larger randomized trial will compare mobile CM plus counseling and medication against usual care involving referral and quitline support, with both groups receiving pharmacotherapy. Participants will be Veterans in lung cancer screening or cancer care who smoke. They will complete questionnaires, attend counseling sessions, and use a CO monitor and app to verify smoking abstinence remotely. Researchers will track smoking behavior, medication use, attendance, and carbon monoxide levels over several weeks. Outcomes include changes in smoking habits, nicotine dependence, and abstinence rates. Safety and study retention will also be monitored throughout the study period.

Smoking Cessation CM for Veterans With or at Risk for Cancer