Incentives for Participation Versus Outcomes

One of the most important debates in the field of disease prevention is whether financial incentives should be contingent on participation in evidence-based programs for smoking cessation or on actual outcomes, like prolonged abstinence. This study can fill a major knowledge gap in this debate, which is the lack of any population trial that compared the impacts of outcomes- and participation-based incentives in a population of smokers. This research can help policy makers and health service providers choose the incentives approach that provides the most effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and cost-savings for entire populations of smokers.