Telehealth smoking cessation treatment programs can reduce tobacco-related disparities among incarcerated smokers, according to a new study.

The study in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare finds that video conferencing with tobacco treatment specialists may help smokers in rural prisons quit tobacco smoking.

“Tobacco use is an important public health issue, especially among people who are incarcerated, in the US,” says Pamela Valera, assistant professor in the urban-global public health department at Rutgers University.

“Currently, tobacco cessation programs are not offered consistently in US prisons due to a lack of resources and limited certified tobacco treatment specialists. This is especially true for prisons in rural parts of the country.”

Inmates are three to four times more likely to smoke than the general population, contributing to high levels of chronic health conditions, like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Smoking is also more common in rural prisons, which often lack cessation resources and have few medical professionals to care for a population with more health needs.

To address the lack of resources, the researchers were the first to use video conferencing to deliver group-based smoking cessation counseling to inmates in rural prisons. They also provided inmates with nicotine replacement therapy patches to aid in the cessation process.

“Our experience with the implementation and production of remote group-based smoking cessation treatment allows us to suggest that virtual platforms may be one solution to addressing inequities in access to tobacco cessation among people who are incarcerated,” Valera says.

Read the full article about telehealth by Patti Verbanas at Futurity.