Automating Tobacco Cessation in Primary Care
Official title: Automating Tobacco Cessation in Primary Care Via EHR Integration: A Non-Randomized Trial
Run by University of Pennsylvania · NCT07735286 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a workflow in primary care to identify smokers and help them access nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during routine visits.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 4800 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Pennsylvania Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 24, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 23, 2027 |
| Study ends | August 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07735286 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults 18 or older who smoke and receive care at Penn Family Care or Edward Cooper Internal Medicine and meet the visit and prescription criteria outlined in the inclusion rules.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who do not use or obtain nicotine replacement therapy or those not engaged with the healthcare workflow may see no benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This intervention aims to streamline how primary care teams identify patients who smoke and present tobacco treatment options, including NRT such as patches, gum, or lozenges. It will implement a workflow at Penn Family Care with Edward Cooper Internal Medicine serving as a comparison site. A 30-day follow-up survey will collect data on whether patients received, picked up, or used NRT, and any barriers experienced. The study will focus on patients aged 18 and older who are active smokers and have had eligible visits, comparing those who receive the intervention to standard care. Primary analysis uses electronic health record data to identify active smokers and exclude those who recently had an NRT prescription.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the workflow could increase the rate at which primary care teams offer and patients receive nicotine replacement therapy, potentially aiding more patients in reducing or quitting smoking.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work supports using structured workflows to improve smoking-cessation discussions and NRT uptake, though the specific automated workflow in primary care is being evaluated here.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older * Patient at Penn Family Care or Edward Cooper Internal Medicine * Had an eligible scheduled or completed practice visit categorized as a new annual visit, return patient visit, return annual visit, or return patient sick visit * For the tobacco cessation intervention: Penn Family Care patient who had not previously completed the tobacco questionnaire * For the 30-day follow-up survey: Active smoker in the EHR as of the completed visit date or prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) between 3 days before and 30 days after the completed visit date * For the primary analysis: Active smoker in the EHR as of the completed visit date * For the primary analysis: Did not have an NRT prescription between 34 and 4 days before the completed visit date Exclusion Criteria: * None except as specified in inclusion criteria.
Where it's running
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Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Cheryl Bettigole, MD, MPH — Penn Medicine
- Study coordinator: Senior Project Manager, MSW
- Email: nathalie.laurent@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
- Phone: 609-534-0751
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.