NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Agile Health, a provider of mobile healthcare engagement solutions, today announced a major upgrade to their Kick Buts smoking cessation program. Kick Buts 2.0 is designed to provide an even more open, engaging and supportive experience for users and to better serve the needs of employers and other benefit plan sponsors, while maintaining the clinically valid foundation the platform is known for internationally.

Kick Buts 2.0 delivers personalized text messages to smokers who need advice, support and encouragement as they try to quit smoking. It sends messages at scheduled intervals over a six-month period to help users develop the knowledge, motivation and behavioral skills necessary to drive sustained behavior change.  The program also responds immediately to key words participants can send in requesting help to overcome cravings, slip-ups or relapse, effectively creating a two-way dialogue that engages end users when and where they need it most.

Kick Buts 2.0 is the next generation commercial version of the STOMP (Stop Smoking Over Mobile Phone) Health Messaging Engine, the first clinically trialed text-based smoking cessation program. Agile Health initially licensed STOMP from HSAGlobal in 2011, and acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the platform in 2012. Developed by the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, STOMP is the only text-based smoking cessation program to have successfully completed multiple peer reviewed clinical trials. A controlled study of nearly 6,000 participants published in the June 2011 issue of The Lancet found that the UK adaptation of the STOMP program more than doubled­ smoking quit rates at 6 months. A recent systematic review of this and similar studies published by the Cochrane Library in November 2012 concluded that messaging programs are effective in improving the chance of quitting. The lead researcher for the Cochrane review, Dr. Robyn Whittaker of the University of Auckland, said, "The Lancet study shows the efficacy of a mobile phone intervention in a developed country with a good tobacco control policy. I am pleased to see that Agile Health has expanded the reach of this proven platform to the commercial sector."

Building on the academic and clinical success of the STOMP platform, Agile Health has developed a viable commercial healthcare offering for the U.S. market and abroad. In developing the original Kick Buts program, the company took the proven STOMP platform and enhanced it to improve engagement rates and smoking cessation success rates, established interoperability with U.S. health payors and other relevant third parties, and adapted the message content to ensure that cultural intent and health literacy levels were appropriate to the U.S. market. With Kick Buts 2.0, the company is further expanding the solution with the following web-based functionality, language options and social media features:

• Portal Enhancements – Enrolled members can now access a multi-centered environment designed to provide a more personalized and engaging experience online or via Internet enabled phones. My Quit Center provides tools to plan and track quit progress, including a calculator that tracks the days leading up to and after the Quit Date, maintains a running tally of dollars saved and marks key milestone dates along the way. Other centers include: My Tool Box, where program participants can research different methods, techniques and tips to enhance the quit process; My Game Center, full of brief diversions to help get over a craving; and My Nicotine Replacement Center, where participants can access discounted employer-funded Nicorette^® Lozenge, Gum, and NicoDerm^® CQ^® products from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), triggering scheduled refill reminder messages to help drive adherence and improve the chances for success, or if Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is not funded, purchase discounted brand or generic product through CVS.com. 
• Facebook^® Integration – Participants can now easily enroll in Kick Buts using their Facebook accounts and access Facebook directly via My Quit Center.  More importantly, they can improve their chances of success by recruiting friends and family to form their own private support group – including some fun and innovative features to help get everyone involved. Kick Buts users can also post Progress Badges to their Facebook Wall to share progress and accomplishments with their Facebook Friends.
• Spanish Translation – Trained professionals carefully adapted all of the new web portal content and the complete text message library.  The adaptation process involved cultural intent based translation as well as language translation to ensure that the purpose and intent of each message was preserved and clearly communicated in Spanish.

"Agile Health is committed to improving healthcare engagement and outcomes," said Scott Werntz, president of Agile Health.  "We are pleased to offer a Spanish language version so we can expand our reach into this growing segment of covered populations.  We are also excited to offer our users stronger medication support through our GSK relationship and to add social media capabilities so end users can engage and activate a support group to help them through difficult moments – both of which improve chances for long-term success."

About Agile Health

Agile Health provides mobile healthcare engagement solutions to create lasting behavior changes that drive better health outcomes. The company's programs deliver practical, engaging and cost-effective support, as well as clinically verified results. Agile Health's solutions are tailored to integrate easily and effectively with employers, benefit plan sponsors, third party administrators, and other health & wellness program providers. For more information on Kick Buts or the STOMP platform, call Agile Health at (847) 955-1905 or visit www.agilehealth.com.

Nicorette®, NicoDerm® and CQ® are registered trademarks of GlaxoSmithKline. Facebook^® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Agile Health