Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

Telegram Messenger Support for Smoking Cessation After Heart Attack

ConditionsMyocardial Infarction (MI)Tobacco UseSmoking Cessation
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorITMO University

About this trial

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.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Willing and able to provide written informed consent.

Age 18 years or older.

Hospitalization with a confirmed diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (MI), including both ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI).

Current smoker at the time of index MI: self-reported smoking of at least one cigarette per day in the month prior to hospitalization.

Disqualifiers

Smoking cessation more than 1 month prior to the index MI hospitalization.

Physical or cognitive impairment that prevents the use of a smartphone (e.g., severe visual/hearing impairment, inability to read or respond to messages).

Inability to read and understand the Russian language fluently.

Comorbid condition with a life expectancy of less than 1 year.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Telegram-based Smoking Cessation Support

    Behavioral

    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.

  • Standard Care (in control arm)

    Other intervention

    Routine physician advice to quit smoking provided upon hospital discharge. This represents the current standard of care in the participating clinical centers.

Treatment groups

142 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Telegram Bot Intervention GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Standard Care Control GroupOther 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

30-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA)

Proportion of participants who report abstinence from smoking for the past 30 days or more, verified by both participant self-report AND corroborating report from a close relative or cohabiting person during a telephone interview conducted by a blinded assessor. A positive outcome is recorded ONLY if both sources confirm abstinence. Participants with missing data (e.g., lost to follow-up) will be considered smokers in the primary analysis (intention-to-treat).

Time frame
6 months

Secondary outcomes

1

7-day point prevalence abstinence (7-day PPA)

Proportion of participants who report abstinence from smoking for the past 7 days. Assessed via the Telegram bot.

Time frame
1 month and 3 months
2

Change in cigarette consumption

Change from baseline in the self-reported number of cigarettes smoked per day. Assessed via the Telegram bot.

Time frame
Baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months
3

Score on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND)

Change in nicotine dependence measured by the FTND questionnaire (score range 0-10, higher scores indicate greater dependence). Assessed via the Telegram bot.

Time frame
Baseline and 6 months
4

Motivation to quit (Importance and Confidence Scales)

Scores on self-rated scales (0-10) for the importance of quitting and confidence in the ability to quit. Assessed via the Telegram bot.

Time frame
Baseline and 6 months

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

ITMO University

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: