NCT06570070

AI-powered Chatbot vs. Human Counselors in Smoking Cessation

Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Chatbot vs. Human Counselors in Smoking Cessation

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 300 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Beijing Normal University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study aims to explore the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of AI-powered chatbot support in community smokers.

Detailed description

Smoking cessation remains one of the most significant public health challenges worldwide, with tobacco use being a leading cause of preventable death and disease. Despite extensive efforts, the success rates of smoking cessation programs remain low, necessitating innovative approaches to support individuals in their journey to quit smoking. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has opened new possibilities in healthcare, including the development of AI-powered chatbots that assist individuals in behavior change, such as quitting smoking. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of AI-powered chatbot that simulates human counselors, compared to traditional human counseling in promoting smoking cessation among community smokers. The AI-powered chatbot, equipped with personalized interactions and real-time support, offers scalable and cost-effective assistance, potentially making it an accessible alternative to human counseling. However, human counselors provide empathy, tailored advice, and a nuanced understanding of human behavior that AI may not fully replicate. This study will explore which approach is more effective in helping individuals achieve long-term smoking cessation.

Conditions

• Smoking Cessation
• Mobile Health

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	5A's/5R's advice	5A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) for smokers who are ready to quit, and 5R's (relevance, risks, rewards, roadblocks, and repetition) for smokers who are not ready to quit.
OTHER	Brief leaflet on health warning and smoking cessation	The contents of the leaflet include the absolute risk of smoking, diseases caused by active and second-hand smoking, horrible pictorial warnings of the health consequences of active and second-hand smoking, and the benefits of quitting.
OTHER	Self-help smoking cessation booklet	The contents include information about the benefits of quitting, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, misperceptions of quitting, etc.
BEHAVIORAL	AI-powered chatbot support	Participants will receive three months of AI-powered chatbot, equipped with personalized interactions and real-time support, via WeChat.
BEHAVIORAL	Counselor individual support	Participants will receive three months of counselor-led individual support via WeChat. The regular messages and instant messaging on psychosocial support aim to provide cessation advice, increase self-efficacy and confidence, and social support and behavioral capacity of quitting.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-01
• Primary completion: 2025-06-20
• Completion: 2025-12-30
• First posted: 2024-08-26
• Last updated: 2024-08-26

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China