CONNECT: Helping cancer survivors stop using tobacco
Cancer Prevention by Reducing Tobacco With Informatics and Chronic Care Approaches Trial (CONNECT)
This project will test two electronic clinic-based approaches to help adult cancer patients who currently use tobacco get treatment and quit smoking.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 5000 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Washington University School of Medicine Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (St Louis, Missouri) |
| Trial ID | NCT07020273 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a two-arm pragmatic cluster randomized trial at Washington University clinics comparing an enhanced nudge strategy (ELEVATE-S) to a quit-focused usual-care approach (ELEVATE). Clinics are randomized to use informatics-enabled nudges that prompt clinicians and patients toward medication, brief advice, or referral, or to continue the existing quit-focused workflow. The main outcomes are uptake of tobacco treatment (medication, brief advice, or external counseling referral) and smoking cessation rates. The trial enrolls adult patients who report current tobacco use during routine clinic visits to measure real-world implementation and patient outcomes in oncology care.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (18+) receiving care at a participating Washington University clinic who report current tobacco use at an appointment are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who do not currently use tobacco, receive care outside the participating clinics, or are not interested in tobacco treatment are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more cancer patients who smoke could receive medication, counseling, or brief advice and achieve higher quit rates, which may improve cancer outcomes and overall health.
How similar studies have performed: EHR-based nudges and implementation strategies have improved delivery of smoking cessation treatment and produced modest increases in quit rates in general medical settings, though application specifically in cancer care is less extensively tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Eligibility Criteria: * Be receiving care at a participating clinic * Report current tobacco use (assessed by the rooming staff during the index visit) * Have a completed appointment with a participating clinic * Be an adult (at least 18 years old).
Where this trial is running
St Louis, Missouri
- Washington University School of Medicine — St Louis, Missouri, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Li-Shiun Chen, M.D., MPH, ScD — Washington University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Li-Shiun Chen, M.D., MPH, ScD
- Email: li-shiun@wustl.edu
- Phone: 314-362-3932
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.