QuitBot: Quit Smoking Coach

Functionality & Mechanism

QuitBot: Quit Smoking Coach is an AI-powered chatbot developed by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The app delivers a structured 42-day quit program through 2- to 3-minute conversations covering motivations to quit, setting a quit date, FDA-approved cessation medications, coping with triggers, and recovering from lapses. A large language model feature lets users ask open-ended questions about quitting and receive tailored answers.

Evidence & Research Context

• In a pilot randomized controlled trial of 404 adults (NCT03585231), QuitBot was compared with the National Cancer Institute SmokefreeTXT text-messaging program. QuitBot users interacted with their program 1.3 times more often and used it 11.5 days longer than SmokefreeTXT users.
• Thirty-day abstinence at 3 months did not differ significantly between the two programs overall (31.1% versus 34.7%), though QuitBot outperformed a no-treatment delayed-access arm and did better among the participants who viewed all 42 days of content (63% versus 38.5%). Cessation in this trial was self-reported.
• Development involved 4 years of formative research following an 11-step user-centered design process, including a diary study and the pilot trial, which led to adding the open-ended question feature.
• A full-scale randomized controlled trial (NCT04308759) has been completed. Its protocol is published, but its results have not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal.

Intended Use & Scope

QuitBot is intended for adults seeking to quit cigarette smoking. The app provides structured support and information to aid the cessation process. It does not provide medical advice or replace professional healthcare guidance. Users should consult a healthcare provider for personalized medical recommendations or if experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms.