Can cell phone messages help workers quit smoking?
Sending text messages to cell phones is an effective intervention to help employees quit smoking, according to a study of research on this topic.1
"Mobile phone-based health programs are well-suited to be implemented by employers, particularly those who provide phones to their employees," says Robyn Whittaker, MD, the study's lead author and program leader for health technology research at University of Auckland in New Zealand.
In one study examined by the researchers, 1,700 smokers signed up for a six-month program receiving up to six text messages a day. The frequency of messages was reduced over time to three per week at the end of the program, and participants also could request messages on demand to help beat cravings. Self-reported quit rates were 41.1%, compared with only 26.4% of a control group.
Mobile phone interventions can be sent to any number of employees at any time of day, regardless of their location, adds Whittaker. "They do not require participants to attend clinics and can be delivered in a confidential or anonymous manner," she says. Messages can be delivered at selected appropriate time periods or read at a later time so work is not interrupted, she notes.
"Occupational health professionals should explore the use of newer media to reach and support people trying to quit," says Chris Bullen, MD, associate director of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at University of Auckland's School of Population Health.
Text messages give another option for smokers who want support to quit, but who can't or don't want to attend a group session, notes Whittaker. "In particular, they may appeal to young adults who are well used to the mobile phone as their main means of communication," she says.
Your return on investment is likely to be substantial, Bullen notes. "Research shows that workplace cessation interventions provide a positive return on investment within two to three years for health plans, and immediate savings for employers," he says.
By estimating the number of employees who will quit smoking as a result of the intervention, you can compute your expected savings in reduced absenteeism and presenteeism, says Bullen.
While costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism are always subject to debate, there's no doubt that there is significant reduction in both areas when an employee quits smoking, according to Sean Bell, senior vice president of strategic development for Seattle-based Free & Clear, a provider of phone-based tobacco treatment. Bell points to one study showing that the average annual cost for lost productivity for current smokers was $4,430 per year, compared with $2,623 per year for nonsmokers.2
The net dollar savings may seem large, but the numbers make sense when you consider the dramatically higher incidence of upper respiratory illness in smokers, which "saps productivity throughout the year," and also, the fact that a single smoke break eats up nearly 10 minutes of productive time, says Bell. "It only takes three smoke breaks a day before the average person has eaten up a half hour a day, or nearly 120 hours a year, in smoke breaks and lost productivity," he says.
[Editor's Note: Have you implemented an effective program for smoking cessation? If so, please contact Stacey Kusterbeck, Editor, Occupational Health Management, by phone at (631) 425- 9760 or e-mail at [email protected].]
References
1. Whittaker R, Borland R, Bullen C, et al. Mobile phone-based interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Data Syst Revs 2007, Issue 4. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006611.
2. Bunn WB, Stave GM, Downs KE, et al. Effect of smoking status on productivity loss. J Occ Environ Med 2006; 48:1,099-1,108.
SOURCES
For more information on mobile phones and smoking cessation, contact:
- Chris Bullen, MD, Associate Director, Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected].
- Robyn Whittaker, MD, Programme Leader Health Technology Research, Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected].
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