Mitnick M, Goodwin S, Bubna M, White JS, Raiff BR. Acceptability of heart rate-based remote monitoring of smoking status. Addict Behav Rep. 2024;20:100561. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2024.100561
This article examined the end-user acceptability of two heart rate monitoring options to provide an objective measure of smoking cession verification. Participants (n = 410) were part of a larger study assessing the Smoke-Free application. Participants completed a survey assessing individuals’ willingness to use, convenience, and comfort with mobile phone or passive sensor methods for monitoring their heart rate. Both methods are previously validated digital methods for collecting heart rate data that can indicate smoking abstinence. Using a cell phone camera to capture heart rate data requires participants to place their fingers on the cameras to record their heart rate. Wearing an activity tracker/smartwatch allows for the continuous collection of passive heart rate data. Participants reported the activity tracker/smartwatch as more convenient (p = 0.02) and more comfortable (p < 0.001) compared to the smartphone camera. In addition, participants felt they would be more likely to maintain the requested use of an activity tracker/smartwatch (p = 0.03) and rated this option as more acceptable than the smartphone camera (87.0% vs 50.0%). It is important to note that half (53.4%) of participants did not own an activity tracker or smartwatch. Previous ownership of an activity tracker was related to higher acceptability compared to those who did not own an activity tracker or smartwatch (all p < 0.05). While these results suggest that heart rate monitoring may be a potential avenue for monitoring smoking status, larger-scale assessments should be conducted.