# Digital Therapeutics for Smoking Cessation in HIV Patients

> **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637)
> **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com)
> **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/hiv-smoking-cessation-digital-therapeutics-trial-data/
> **Published:** 2026-04-14T19:46:15-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-28T11:01:42-04:00
> **Clinical Summary:** Explore HIV smoking cessation digital therapeutics and clinical trial data showing feasibility and acceptability for people living with HIV.

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#### Clinical Takeaway



A digital therapeutic tailored specifically for people living with HIV showed feasibility and acceptability as a [smoking cessation](https://cedclinic.com/nicotine-e-cigarettes-smoking-cessation-success-umass-amherst/) tool, suggesting this population can be reached and engaged through technology-based interventions. Tobacco use remains a leading driver of illness and death among people with HIV, making scalable cessation tools clinically meaningful. These pilot findings support further investigation of HIV-tailored [digital therapeutics](https://cedclinic.com/social-media-addiction-liability-cases/) as a practical complement to standard cessation care.












### #23 Population reach, feasibility and acceptability of digital therapeutics for smoking cessation among people living with HIV: Results of the Quitting Matters pilot trial.






**Citation:** Vilardaga R et al. *Population reach, feasibility and acceptability of digital therapeutics for smoking cessation among people living with HIV: Results of the Quitting Matters pilot trial.* Drug and alcohol dependence. 2026. PMID: 41512654.






**Study type:** Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial  | 

**Topic area:** [Drug Interactions](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-liver-interactions-study-insights/)  | 

**CED Score:** 10






Design: 5 Journal: 0 N: 1 Recency: 3 Pop: 2 Human: 1 Risk: -2






**Quality Gate Alerts:**
- Preclinical only





**Abstract:** INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use is disproportionately prevalent among people living with HIV (PWH) and is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in this population. Reaching communities of PWH to facilitate smoking cessation is challenging. Digital Therapeutics (DTx) can facilitate widespread implementation and adoption of smoking cessation treatments for PWH. METHODS: We compared the feasibility and acceptability (primary outcomes) and preliminary efficacy (secondary outcome) of a DTx tailored to PWH — Learn to Quit-HIV (LTQ-H) — versus a gold standard smoking cessation DTx (QuitGuide) in a remote pilot randomized controlled trial. All participants received [nicotine replacement](https://cedclinic.com/smoking-cessation-harm-reduction-e-cigarettes-outperform-patches/) therapy and were assessed at weeks 4, 8, and 12. RESULTS: During a 13-month period, we remotely recruited a sample of PWH (n = 41) across the United States, with randomization leading to a higher proportion of LTQ-H users with high levels of [cannabis use](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-cardiovascular-health-insights-2024/). Digital markers of DTx use indicated that compared to QuitGuide, assignment to LTQ-H led to significantly greater number of device interactions (3610 vs 2086; RR=93.14; 95 % CI: 14.70-590; p 

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### Verification & Medical Governance

- **Lead Clinical Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD
- **Credentials:** Board Certified in Family Medicine (ABFM), Founder & CMO CED Clinic & CED Foundation, Author of *The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook* (Penguin Random House).
- **Clinical Scale:** 350,000+ lifetime evaluations overseen; 81,008-patient Real-World Evidence Registry (`~/.ced_rwe_vault.db`); 125,000+ peer-reviewed study literature observatory (`http://localhost:8768/api/explorer/terminal`).
- **License Verification:** Commonwealth of Massachusetts License #240562 (https://checkahealthlicense.mass.gov/).
- **NPI Registry:** 1962722637 (https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1962722637).
- **Ethics & Data Privacy:** Clinical registry observations adhere strictly to HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification (45 CFR § 164.514(b)) and criteria for secondary research exemption under 45 CFR § 46.104(d)(4).