To help its members to stop smoking, The Vitality Group, part of the worlds first and largest incentive-based wellness program, introduced a mobile-based smoking cessation intervention designed by the National Cancer Institute SmokefreeTXT. The mobile text messaging service targets members who are smokers trying to quit and provides 24/7 encouragement, advice and tips via interactive text messaging.
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and chronic disease in the United States and according to the National Institutes of Health about 443,000 Americans die annually of illnesses caused by tobacco.
Encouraging employees to quit smoking through an evidence-based wellness program can result in a healthier and more productive workforce, said Alan Pollard, CEO of Vitality. Were proud to partner with the National Cancer Institute to offer our Vitality members a cutting edge, interactive mobile program designed to help them quit smoking. This program will help provide members motivation and encouragement to hopefully stop for good.
Members can register for SmokefreeTXT on the Vitality website. Vitality will offer weekly points to those who remain subscribed during the active messaging period of the program and completion points to those who respond to a follow-up text they will receive one month after the active messaging period has ended.
How Vitality Works
Members start with an online Health Risk Assessment that identifies relative risk factors for each member and provides them with their Vitality Age. This is a scientifically calculated representation of their risk-adjusted or true age, allowing each member to easily understand how their current behaviors are impacting their health.
Each member is then presented with a Personal Pathway, a recommended set of activities and goals to assist them in improving their health. Members can select from more than 30 health-related activities including exercising, achieving health goals such as losing weight or stopping smoking, receiving routine preventive care, such as a prostate exam or mammogram and participating in a health education program. Members are incentivized for their participation throughout the program and earn rewards.
