ESCAPE: a randomised controlled trial of computer-tailored smoking cessation advice in primary care

Aims To evaluate the effectiveness of tailored cessation advice reports, including levels of reading ability, compared with a generic self‐help booklet. Design Participants were randomised to receive standard non‐tailored information or to receive standard information plus a cessation advice report and a progress report, both tailored to individual characteristics. Setting One hundred and twenty‐three general practices located throughout the UK. Participants Questionnaires were mailed to 58 660 current cigarette smokers aged 18–65 years, identified from general practitioner records. Of the 6911 (11.8%) who completed the questionnaire, provided consent and were enrolled into the study, 6697 (11.4%) were included in the analysis. Measurements Follow‐up was by postal questionnaire sent six months after randomisation, or by telephone interview for participants failing to return the questionnaire. The primary outcome was self‐reported prolonged abstinence for at least three months at the six‐month follow‐up. Findings Quit rates on the primary outcome were not significantly different (3.2% versus 2.7%) (OR = 1.20, 95% CI [0.94, 1.54], P = 0.15). A significantly higher proportion of intervention group participants made a quit attempt during the follow‐up period (32.3% versus 29.6%; OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.01, 1.26], P = 0.026). Conclusion ESCAPE, a brief tailored smoking cessation intervention delivered by post and designed to reach a wide population of smokers, appears to increase the rate at which smokers try to stop, but if there is an effect on prolonged abstinence it is small.