RISE Above Smoking Clinical Trial
Researchers at University at Buffalo are conducting a stop-smoking clinical trial to compare treatment and assessment conducted in person at our clinic to that conducted remotely via Zoom.
Fast Facts
Currently Smoke Cigarettes and Want to Quit
Live within 90 minutes of the University of Buffalo South Campus
Compensation Provided for Study Participation
Study Background
Are you a person who smokes and wants to stop?
Quitting smoking can be difficult, and resources exist to help individuals who want to stop. This research study will provide free nicotine patches and lozenges (nicotine replacement therapy) to participants.
All participants will also participate in treatment visits and will be randomized, like the flip of a coin, to attend these visits either in-person or virtually. Our trial aims to understand if remote smoking cessation programs are as effective as in-person smoking cessation programs to help people stop smoking, and will help us make better recommendations for effective and accessible resources.
Study Background
Are you a person who smokes and wants to stop?
Quitting smoking can be difficult, and resources exist to help individuals who want to stop. This research study will provide free nicotine patches and lozenges (nicotine replacement therapy) to participants.
All participants will also participate in treatment visits and will be randomized, like the flip of a coin, to attend these visits either in-person or virtually. Our trial aims to understand if remote smoking cessation programs are as effective as in-person smoking cessation programs to help people stop smoking, and will help us make better recommendations for effective and accessible resources.
Additional Information
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many clinical research studies and treatment programs were forced to change to a remote or “virtual” format. Although in-person and remote formats may each have some advantages, there is no research that directly compares the two formats. The main purpose of the RISE Above Smoking clinical trial is to test how well each format performs in the context of a project helping people to quit smoking with a combination of nicotine replacement patches and lozenges.
You may qualify for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 18+
- Currently smoke and interested in quitting
- Live within 90 minutes of the University at Buffalo South Campus
We expect that participants will be in this research study for about 4 months. Those eligible on the phone screen will attend an Intake Visit that will last about 1 hour, followed by 5 Treatment and Assessment visits that will last 30-60 minutes each. Over the course of the study, participants will receive free nicotine replacement patches and lozenges, as well as self-help materials, for quitting smoking.
Each participant will complete either an in-person (at UB) or remote (completed via Zoom) Intake visit and either in-person or remote study visits. The format of each type of visit is determined randomly by a computer program, like flipping a coin. Neither the participant nor the study team will select what kind of visit the participant will complete. There is a 50% chance that the Intake Visit is remote, and a 50% chance that the Treatment and Assessment Visits will be remote.
Other than the location of visits (in-person at UB or remote with Zoom), everything will be the same between the groups.
Eligible participants will receive $30 per visit, up to a total of $180. Nicotine replacement therapy will also be provided at no cost.
There is no cost to participate in our research study.
