Information for those taking part in the study
If you are a daily smoker and have thought about quitting, we would like to ask you to try out an app for three weeks. You don’t need to have decided that you want to quit smoking now.
About the project and why we want you to take part
Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health, but it can be hard. We know that more people smoke in socially disadvantaged areas, and it can also be harder to quit smoking. That’s why we want to develop an app that can help people who want to quit smoking, or to avoid starting again. To make the app as relevant and as user-friendly as possible, we are looking for 100 people who are willing to try it out.
Centrum för epidemiologi och samhällsmedicin (CES) is responsible for the study (the research organisation). CES is part of Stockholms läns sjukvårdsområde (SLSO) at Region Stockholm. The study is being carried out in partnership with Karolinska Institutet. The Swedish Ethical Review Authority has reviewed and approved the study, and the application and approval number is 2022-00856-01.
How the project works
Participants in the study will be able to use an app that is still being developed, and that is intended to help them quit smoking. We want to know what people think about the app and how they use it.
Those who choose to take part will be able to try out the app for three weeks. Information about how you use the app will be registered during the trial period. You will be asked to answer two short surveys about your experiences of using the app. You may also be invited to an interview to share your thoughts and experiences. This interview is expected to last for a maximum of one hour, and will be recorded. The interview can be conducted with an interpreter.
Possible consequenses and risks of taking part in the project
Taking part in this study does not pose any physical risks to you, and will not affect your care in any way. If you find that taking part makes you feel uncomfortable about your smoking, you can be put in touch with a smoking cessation professional. If you have any questions, you can contact the people in charge of the study. Their contact details can be found at the bottom of this text.
How will your data be used?
The project will collect and register information about you, such as your responses from the surveys, user data from the app and interview answers. All information will be processed securely, and will be stored on a password-protected server. After the interviews have been transcribed, the recordings will be deleted. Your answers and your results will be processed in a way that prevents unauthorised access. When reporting the results, individuals will not be identifiable.
In accordance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access the information about you that is processed within the project, free of charge, and to have any errors corrected if necessary. You can also ask for data about you to be deleted and for processing of your personal data to be restricted. However, the right to erasure and the right to restrict personal data processing do not apply when the data is necessary for the research in question. If you wish to access this data, please contact the researcher with overall responsibility, Joanna Stjernschantz Forsberg. (Contact details can be found at the bottom of this text.)
SLSO is responsible for processing your personal data. If you have any questions about the GDPR and how your personal data is protected, please contact SLSO’s data protection officer. Email gdpr.slso@regionstockholm.se. If you are unhappy about how your personal data is processed, you have the right to complain to the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, which is the supervisory authority.
How to find out about the results of the project
You can read the results, which will be published in scientific papers and at www.folkhalsoguiden.se. Once the study has been completed, an information session will also be held for participants and other interested parties. You do not have to read the results if you do not want to.
Insurance and remuneration
Those who take part in the interview are covered by personal injury insurance that covers direct travel between their home and the location where the interview takes place. You may also be reimbursed for any travel costs associated with the interview.
To thank you for taking part, you may receive gift cards worth up to SEK 700. You will receive the gift card(s) at the end of the study.
Participation is voluntary
Your participation is voluntary, and you can choose to withdraw at any time. If you choose not to take part or if you want to withdraw, you do not need to tell us why and this will not affect your future care or treatment.
If you want to withdraw, you should contact the person responsible for the project (see below).
Contact
Researcher with overall responsibility
Joanna Stjernschantz Forsberg
joanna.stjernschantz-forsberg@regionstockholm.se
Administrator:
Annabell Kantner
annabell Kantner@regionstockholm.se