title: An expert system intervention for smoking cessation.
abstract: The Pathways to Change system (PTC) is an expert system intervention for smoking cessation. Assessments are performed either by mail or by a telephone interview and each smoker receives a three- to four-page report that provides individualized recommendations matched to the individual's needs and readiness-to-change. The Transtheoretical Model of Change provides the theoretical basis for the expert system. Four different studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this intervention in a general population, with cessation rates of 22 to 26%. Furthermore, the difference between the groups was larger at each follow-up assessment point, indicating that the effects of the treatment increased long after the end of treatment. The studies involved two proactively recruited samples, demonstrating that a large proportion (85.3% and 82.5%) of the population of smokers could be successfully recruited into a smoking cessation program. Expert system interventions have the potential to have an extremely high impact on a total population of smokers.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, 2 Chafee Road, Kingston, RI 02881-0808, USA. velicer@uri.edu
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Velicer
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Prochaska
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D005103:Expert Systems; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome