Grant: Project Grant

Varenicline is a prescription medication that helps people quit smoking tobacco. When taken as prescribed, it is the most effective smoking cessation medication available in Canada. However, many people do not adhere to the 12-week regimen, and this decreases their chances of successfully quitting smoking. Several studies have shown that people are more likely to take varenicline as prescribed if they are given information on how to take the medication, what to expect from taking the medication, and are given strategies to reduce side effect (e.g., nausea). Providing these supports though phone and text messages has proven to be successful, but is expensive. For this project we will develop a chatbot (a software application that can simulate a conversation with a user through messaging applications, websites and mobile applications) based on what researchers have found works and what people who have used varenicline think should be included. Once the chatbot is built, 40 people who want to quit smoking will be invited to use the chatbot. Participants will receive varenicline for 12 weeks, the usual instructions on how to take it from their health care provider, and the support of a chatbot. After 12 weeks we will examine how many people took their medication as prescribed and how many people quit smoking. We will also examine how often participants used the chatbot and what participants liked and disliked about the chatbot. The information from this study will help decide: 1) whether the chatbot is a promising solution to help people adhere to their medication regimen; 2) what improvements are needed, and 3) if a larger study is needed to test if the chatbot helps people adhere to their medication more than treatment as usual.