WayBetter's Erika Bloom Wins Prestigious Digital Health Tech Madness Champion Award for QuitBet Smoking Cessation App

Dr. Erika Bloom, Director of Product and Research at WayBetter, a US-based digital health company, has won the prestigious Digital Health Tech Madness Champion Award at the Society of Behavioral Medicine's 46th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, CA, USA.

Bloom accepted the award for her work on QuitBet, a groundbreaking app designed to support cigarette smoking cessation. The app, which has already shown promising results, encourages smokers to quit by paying them $30 to participate in a four-week game that promotes and educates players on the benefits of quitting smoking.

The trial, which had 245 participants, saw a remarkable 40% quit rate, with 98 participants declaring themselves winners after completing the four-week period. Winners received a refund of their $30 plus an additional $50 on average.

WayBetter's efforts were recognized for combining behavioral science with real-time biometric feedback to create meaningful and lasting change in people's lives. The company is now working towards launching QuitBet as a commercial product, building upon its previous successes with apps like DietBet and StepBet, which have registered over 1.5 million paying customers.

According to Bedfont Scientific Ltd, the manufacturer of the iCOquit CO device used in the trial, "We are incredibly proud that our iCOquit Smokerlyzer CO monitoring device played a role in supporting users on their quit journey." The iCOquit device allows users to monitor their breath carbon monoxide levels as often as needed during their quit attempt, making it a visual motivational aid for people quitting smoking.

Dr. Erika Bloom expressed her excitement about the potential of QuitBet, saying, "Completing this trial and sharing the results is a pivotal step towards our goal of making this app available to anyone who wants to quit smoking and, ultimately, saving lives."

The Digital Health Tech Madness Champion Award recognizes innovation and excellence in digital health technologies, solidifying WayBetter's position as a leader in developing solutions to promote healthier behaviors.