A Patient-Oriented Research Mentoring Program in Tobacco Dependence and Implementation Science Research

Launched by ABRAMSON CANCER CENTER AT PENN MEDICINE · May 1, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is testing whether small prompts (nudges) to clinicians who care for people with HIV who smoke, and/or to the patients themselves, can increase referrals to tobacco-use treatment and help more people actually start or use treatment. There are four groups: usual care (no extra prompts), a clinician nudge delivered inside the electronic health record, a patient nudge sent through the patient portal or by text, and a combined nudge for both clinician and patient. The main goals are to measure how often patients are referred to tobacco treatment and how many engage with it (enroll, attend at least one session, or use a tobacco medication) within about a year. About 500 participants are expected.

Eligible participants include clinicians from Penn’s Infectious Disease division who prescribe HIV meds and have cared for HIV patients in the last six months, and English-speaking. Patients must have HIV and report current tobacco smoking (daily smoking for the past six months). If you join as a patient, you may receive messages nudging you toward tobacco treatment via the portal or text, with privacy safeguards. The trial is conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, started in 2023, and is expected to finish enrolling by 2026. It’s a real-world study that keeps usual care the same aside from the nudges, and it aims to identify which prompts work best to help people with HIV who smoke use tobacco treatment, potentially improving health outcomes.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• * Clinician participants must meet the following criteria for enrollment:
• • 1. Penn Division of Infectious Disease
• • 2. Prescribing authority in Pennsylvania (i.e., physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant)
• • 3. Clinical oversight of HIV patients for the past six months
• • 4. English-speaking (messages will be in English)
• • Patient participants must be diagnosed with HIV and report current tobacco smoking (self-report daily smoking for last 6 months)