NCT07230249

Telegram Messenger Support for Smoking Cessation After Heart Attack

Effect of a Behavioral Intervention Delivered Via Telegram Messenger on Smoking Cessation in Patients After Myocardial Infarction: The TELEGRAM-MI Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 142 (estimated)
• Sponsor: ITMO University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether a 6-month behavioral intervention delivered via Telegram messenger increases smoking cessation rates in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). Adult smokers hospitalized with acute MI who regularly use Telegram will be randomly assigned to either: * INTERVENTION GROUP: Standard care plus a 6-month Telegram chatbot program providing personalized motivational messages, cognitive-behavioral techniques for craving management, and relapse prevention support. * CONTROL GROUP: Standard care (routine physician advice to quit smoking) plus basic surveys via Telegram without therapeutic content. The primary outcome is 30-day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months, verified by blinded telephone interview with participant and corroborating report from a close relative. Secondary outcomes include changes in cigarette consumption, nicotine dependence, motivation, and intervention engagement metrics. This study addresses the critical gap in smoking cessation support after hospital discharge and could provide evidence for a scalable digital health solution in cardiac secondary prevention.

Detailed description

The TELEGRAM-MI trial is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded superiority study testing a digital behavioral intervention for smoking cessation in post-myocardial infarction patients. BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation is the most effective modifiable risk factor for reducing mortality after MI, yet long-term abstinence remains challenging due to limited sustained support. Digital interventions using popular messaging platforms offer a scalable solution to bridge the post-discharge support gap. OBJECTIVES: Primary: To determine if a 6-month Telegram chatbot intervention increases 30-day point prevalence abstinence rates at 6 months compared to standard care alone. Secondary: To examine associations between baseline characteristics (nicotine dependence, motivation), engagement metrics, and cessation success; and to assess intervention acceptability. METHODS: Approximately 142 participants will be recruited from inpatient cardiology departments. After providing informed consent, participants will be randomized 1:1 via the chatbot to either the intervention group (standard care plus 6-month behavioral support) or control group (standard care plus data collection only). The intervention incorporates evidence-based techniques including motivational messaging, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and relapse prevention protocols. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome is biochemically unverified 30-day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months, assessed via blinded telephone interview with participant and relative verification. Secondary outcomes include various smoking behavior metrics collected through the chatbot platform. ANALYSIS: Primary analysis will follow intention-to-treat principles, with missing data imputed as smoking. Statistical analyses will include chi-square tests for primary outcome and regression models for secondary outcomes. POTENTIAL IMPACT: If effective, this intervention represents a readily implementable, low-cost strategy to enhance secondary prevention in cardiac patients.

Conditions

• Myocardial Infarction (MI)
• Tobacco Use
• Smoking Cessation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Telegram-based Smoking Cessation Support	A 6-month behavioral intervention delivered via a Telegram chatbot. The intervention includes personalized daily motivational messages, cognitive-behavioral techniques for craving management, access to an SOS/craving support button, weekly check-ins, and relapse prevention protocols. Content is tailored based on user responses to questionnaires (Fagerström Test, Importance/Confidence scales) and engagement metrics.
OTHER	Standard Care (in control arm)	Routine physician advice to quit smoking provided upon hospital discharge. This represents the current standard of care in the participating clinical centers.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-05-01
• Primary completion: 2026-12-01
• Completion: 2027-01-01
• First posted: 2025-11-17
• Last updated: 2026-04-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Russia