Background The prevalence of smoking in the United States general population has gradually declined to the lowest rate ever recorded; however, this has not been true for persons with HIV. Objective We conducted a pilot test to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the Lumme Quit Smoking mobile app and smartwatch combination with sensing capabilities to improve smoking cessation in persons with HIV. Methods A total of 40 participants were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned 1:1 to the control arm, which received an 8-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy, a 30-minute smoking cessation counseling session, and weekly check-in calls with study staff, or to the intervention arm, which additionally received the Lumme Quit Smoking app and smartwatch. Results Of the 40 participants enrolled, 37 completed the follow-up study assessments and 16 used the app every day during the 56-day period. During the 6-month recruitment and enrollment period, 122 people were screened for eligibility, with 67.2% (82/122) deemed ineligible. Smoking criteria and incompatible tech were the major reasons for ineligibility. There was no difference in the proportion of 7-day point prevalence abstinence by study arm and no significant decrease in exhaled carbon monoxide for the intervention and control arms separately. However, the average exhaled carbon monoxide decreased over time when analyzing both arms together (P=.02). Conclusions Results suggest excellent feasibility and acceptability of using a smoking sensor app among this smoking population. The knowledge gained from this research will enable the scientific community, clinicians, and community stakeholders to improve tobacco cessation outcomes for persons with HIV. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04808609; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04808609

The use of mobile health (mHealth technology) can be an effective intervention when considering chronic illnesses. Qualitative research methods were used to identify specific content and features for a mobile app for smoking cessation amongst people living with HIV (PWH). We conducted five focus group sessions followed by two Design Sessions with PWH who were or are currently chronic cigarette smokers. The first five groups focused on the perceived barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation amongst PWH. The two Design Sessions leveraged the findings from the focus group sessions and were used to determine the optimal features and user interface of a mobile app to support smoking cessation amongst PWH. Thematic analysis was conducted using the Health Belief Model and Fogg’s Functional Triad. Seven themes emerged from our focus group sessions: history of smoking, triggers, consequences of quitting smoking, motivation to quit, messages to help quit, quitting strategies, and mental health-related challenges. Functional details of the app were identified during the Design Sessions and used to build a functional prototype.

BACKGROUND An estimated 40% of people living with HIV smoke cigarettes. Although smoking rates in the U.S. have been declining in recent years, people living with HIV continue to smoke at twice the rate of the general population. Mobile health (mHealth) technology is an effective tool for people living with a chronic illness, such as HIV, as currently 84% of households in the United States report that they have a smartphone. Although many studies have used mHealth interventions for smoking cessation, few studies have recruited people living with HIV who smoke. OBJECTIVE The objective of the pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Sense2Quit App as a tool for PWH who are motivated to quit smoking. METHODS The Sense2Quit study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial among people living with HIV who are motivated to quit smoking (n=60). Participants are randomized to either the active intervention condition which consists of an 8-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy, standard smoking cessation counseling, and access to the Sense2Quit mobile app and smartwatch, or the control condition which consists of standard smoking cessation counseling and a referral to the New York State Smokers’ Quitline. RESULTS Enrollment of study participants began in March 2023 and is expected to end in September of 2023. All data collection is expected to be completed by the end of December 2023. Results from this pilot study will be disseminated to the research community following completion of all data collection. CONCLUSIONS This study protocol demonstrates a tailored intervention that has the potential to guide people living with HIV who smoke tobacco through their quitting process. Pilot testing of the Sense2Quit app will allow researchers to better understand the efficacy of tobacco cessation strategies and will help guide future mHealth research and development for people living with HIV who smoke. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05609032