Discussion
RECRUITMENT
This study showed that the feasibility test identified several technical challenges requiring help from patients, staff, and IT companies. The time spent on the feasibility test was the longest for the Ha-app despite training workshops for the staff. The validity test results showed no substantial agreement for any of the apps. Some reduction in the number of cigarettes was reported in both apps after testing them for up to two weeks, although no participants managed to quit.Recruitment, continuity, and time consumption are general challenges in digital behaviour change intervention studies concerning surgery [Despite a great potential for using effective IT solutions for perioperative lifestyle behavior risk reduction via lifestyle interventions, at the time of this study only four products have been evaluated in randomized trials: three pilot studies and one full-scale trial. Another six feasibility studies have been performed with only one arm and mainly using text messages. As most have used convenience samples, it is not surprising that the patient groups, in general, were positive. In addition, many of those, similar to this study, showed a need for optimizing functionality, IT literacy requirements, and time consumption reduction [In addition to the earlier mentioned randomized trial by Lemanu and colleagues [Further to a possible positive tendency, the sparse randomized studies hitherto indicate that objectively measurable outcomes or other validations are necessary in addition to self-reported effects.