Chat2Quit – Support Platform for Smoking Cessation

Tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable death and, despite decades of research, smoking cessation is still a challenge. The number of smokers who attempt to quit smoking every year is high, but only 2-3% remain abstinent after 12 months. Smokers wanting to quit should have the help of healthcare professionals. However, only 1 in 20 who attempts to quit is supervised by a professional. Mobile phone technology has the potential to provide personalized smoking cessation support. Motivational messages and behavioral-changes methods used usually in face-to-face smoking cessation consultations can be modified for delivery via mobile phones. The content can be customized to be patient-centered and tailored for the age, gender and education group of the quitter. This paper presents a platform to support smoking cessation composed by a mobile application to be used by users trying to quit smoking, and a web application to be used by researchers to analyze data regarding the app users’ tobacco cessation process. The app follows the transtheoretical model by Prochaska and DiClemente, allowing users to define and be aware of their wishes (what motivates them to stop smoking), barriers that hinder the quitting process and implementation plans and strategies to help them overcoming obstacles.