Massive Open Online Interventions: A Novel Model for Delivering Behavioral-Health Services Worldwide

Massive open online interventions (MOOIs) have the potential to increase the reach, scalability, and affordability of psychological interventions. This article reports on an extension of a proof-of-concept participant-preference smoking-cessation trial conducted in the form of a MOOI. This resource was available in Spanish and English for 30 months, and a total of 292,978 individuals from 168 countries visited the site. This report presents data on the last 18 months of recruitment during which 27,163 participants were screened for eligibility, 8,881 signed consent, and 7,407 completed the baseline survey. Observed quit rates were 39.2%, 43.5%, 45.7%, and 50.3%, respectively, at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months; at the same time intervals, the missing=smoking quit rates were 7.6%, 5.7%, 4.8%, and 5.5%. Results suggest that MOOIs have the potential to provide people worldwide with evidence-based behavioral interventions. The authors conclude that MOOIs should become an integral part of global health efforts.