Text2Quit: An analysis of user experiences with a mobile smoking cessation program.

Introduction: Studies have shown that Text2Quit and other mobile cessation programs increase quit rates in adult smokers, but the mechanism of effects and user experiences are not well understood.

Aims: This study reports on participants' experiences with the program and explores aspects of the program that they liked and disliked.

Methods: Self-reported experiences of the program were collected through a follow-up survey conducted one month after enrollment (n=185). Participant responses to open-ended items were dual coded by independent coders.

Results: Overall participants agreed that they liked the program (4.2/5), that the program was helpful (4.1/5) and that they would recommend the program to a friend (4.3/5). Top reasons for liking the program included that it served as a constant reminder of quitting (17.8%), the content (16.7%), the encouragement provided (13.3%), and the on-demand tools (12.2%). Top reasons for disliking the program were message frequency (20.5%), content (7.0%), and the lack of personal interaction (7.0%).

Conclusions: The constancy of messaging was both liked as a reminder and disliked as an annoyance. Future programs might be improved by pre-testing and customizing the content based on user preferences, and by adding in human interactions, while keeping a supportive tone and offering on-demand tools.