Smoking remains a major global health burden, claiming millions of lives annually. Quitting is challenging, but new e-health interventions have been found to be effective in smoking cessation management. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 39 randomized controlled trials concluded that recent eHealth interventions might promote smoking cessation, with mHealth being the dominant approach.
The review found that e-health interventions increased the smoking cessation rate by 1.86 times, although they had slightly lower sustained quit rates than point quit rates.
Additionally, a meta-analysis published in The Lancet also supported the effectiveness of personalized e-health interventions for smoking cessation.
Therefore, the evidence suggests that e-health interventions can be a valuable tool in smoking cessation management.
How do e-health interventions for smoking cessation compare to traditional smoking cessation programs
E-health interventions for smoking cessation have been found to be effective in various countries, with a increased smoking cessation rate of 1.86 times compared to traditional smoking cessation programs.
These interventions have some advantages, such as easy use, affordability, flexible delivery, wider reach, and the ability to provide proactive and tailored messages.
Some studies have found that e-health interventions can increase point quit rates compared to traditional smoking cessation interventions. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of sustained quit rates.
Some key findings from the studies include:
- E-health interventions, particularly mobile health (mHealth) approaches, have been found to promote smoking cessation.
- Web-based and mHealth smoking cessation interventions may increase abstinence moderately.
- A digital therapeutic intervention for smoking cessation was found to be superior to very brief advice in achieving smoking cessation 4 weeks post-quit date.
Despite these positive findings, some studies have not found evidence of the effectiveness of internet-based tobacco cessation programs when compared to active control groups or other e-health modes.
In conclusion, e-health interventions for smoking cessation have shown promise in terms of increasing point quit rates and have some advantages over traditional smoking cessation programs. However, more research is needed to determine their long-term efficacy and to identify the most effective strategies for incorporating technology into smoking cessation programs.
Advantages and disadvantages of e-health interventions for smoking cessation
E-health interventions for smoking cessation offer several advantages, including increased smoking cessation rates and easy, affordable, and efficient delivery. They also have a wider reach, allowing access to large populations, and the flexibility to provide proactive and tailored messages, matching the target user by age, sex, education, or quit plan.
A study found that e-health interventions increased the smoking cessation rate by 1.86 times compared to traditional smoking cessation programs.
Additionally, web-based and mHealth smoking cessation interventions have been shown to moderately increase abstinence.
However, e-health interventions may have slightly lower sustained quit rates than point quit rates.
Some studies have not found evidence of the effectiveness of internet-based tobacco cessation programs when compared to active control groups or other e-health modes.
Furthermore, the long-term efficacy of e-health interventions for smoking cessation is still an open question.
In summary, while e-health interventions for smoking cessation have shown effectiveness in increasing smoking cessation rates and offer various advantages, such as easy access and tailored messages, their long-term efficacy and sustained quit rates warrant further investigation.
Key takeaways:
- E-health interventions, including text messages, apps, and websites, significantly boost smoking cessation rates compared to traditional methods.
- Quitting rates were 86% higher with e-health support at 7 and 30 days.
- Even after two months, the e-health group maintained higher quit rates.
- E-health interventions are convenient, scalable, and can reach underserved populations.
- These interventions can be personalized to individual needs, offering valuable assistance to pregnant women, people with HIV, or those suffering from depression.
- Despite varying methods across studies, e-health users generally showed greater adherence and satisfaction compared to traditional support.
- More research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of e-health over longer periods (beyond one year).
- Integrating e-health into healthcare systems requires a thorough cost analysis.
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