Acceptability of an internet-based contingency management intervention for smoking cessation: Views of smokers, nonsmokers, and healthcare professionals

The acceptability of an Internet-based contingency management (CM) intervention for cigarette smoking was evaluated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, 67 participants (46% female) completed an Internet-based CM intervention and then answered questions about the intervention. Experiment 2 assessed the acceptability of the intervention among potential treatment users who had never used the intervention, (smokers, n=164, 52% female), nonsmokers (n = 166, 73% female), and health-care providers (n = 139, 63% female). Participants in Experiment 2 were randomly assigned to either watch a video describing the standard CM intervention (no-deposit group) or to watch a video about the standard intervention plus a deposit incentive (deposit group). Overall, results of both experiments indicated high acceptability across all dimensions of the intervention. In Experiment 1, 74% (n=26 of participants in the treatment group) of participants said they would use it if they needed to quit, as well as 92% (n = 150 among smokers) of those in Experiment 2. Of the health-care providers, 81% (n = 113) reported that they would be very likely to recommend the intervention to patients. Participants in both experiments reported that monitoring their progress and earning vouchers were strengths of the intervention. The no-deposit group rated voucher earnings, cash earnings, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention higher than the deposit group. Health-care professionals did not differ in their ratings across video conditions. Overall, the results suggest that Internet-based CM is acceptable as a method to help people quit smoking.