Remote Biochemical Verification of Smoking Abstinence via Mobile-Phone Video Call

Abstract

Introduction: This study tested the feasibility of a home-based salivary cotinine test for the remote verification of smoking abstinence via a mobile-phone video call. Methods: Korean American women were recruited into a pilot smoking cessation study by advertising the study in online Korean American women's communities and offline Korean ethnic newspapers. Smoking abstinence was based on a combination of self-report and salivary cotinine test at post-quit 3-month follow-up. Those who self-reported smoking abstinence were invited to conduct a home-based salivary cotinine test using a NicAlert TM test strip. Research staff monitored the whole process of the test via a mobile-phone video call and read the result when it was ready. Results: At 3-month follow-up, 20 women (20/49, 40.8%) reported smoking abstinence. Of the 20, 16 (80.0%) performed the home-based salivary cotinine test; three refused the test; and one was excluded due to the use of nicotine patches. All but one yielded a level of 0 (cotinine concentration ≤ 10ng/ml) on the test strip, which indicates abstinence. The women who yielded a higher level than 0 or did not perform the test were all treated as smokers. Thus, the rate of biochemically verified smoking abstinence was 30.6% (15/49).