title: You can't pay me to quit: the failure of financial incentives for smoking cessation in head and neck cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A prospective randomised study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital to evaluate the effects of financial incentives for smoking cessation targeted at a high-risk population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a past history of head and neck cancer were voluntarily enrolled over a two-year period. They were randomised to a cash incentives or no incentive group. Subjects were offered enrolment in smoking cessation courses. Smoking by-product levels were assessed at 30 days, 3 months and 6 months. Subjects in the incentive group received $150 if smoking cessation was confirmed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 2 years, 114 patients with an established diagnosis of head and neck cancer were offered enrolment. Twenty-four enrolled and 14 attended the smoking cessation classes. Only two successfully quit smoking at six months. Both these patients were in the financially incentivised group and received $150 at each test visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing a financial incentive for smoking cessation to a population already carrying a diagnosis of head and neck cancer in order to promote a positive behaviour change was unsuccessful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery,University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia,USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery,University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia,USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Philiponis
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology,University of California,Davis,USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bewley
authors.affiliation: Center for Facial Plastic,Reconstructive, and Laser Surgery,San Francisco,California,USA.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Ransom
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery,University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia,USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Head And Neck Cancer; Incentive Reimbursement; Quality Of Life; Smoking Cessation