Table 6.

Dominant themes and subthemes based on structured interviews with smoking cessation clinical trial participants (n=15) who completed both in-person and remote clinic visits.

Theme and subthemes			n (%)		Illustrative quotes
Benefits of remote clinic visits
	No travel required	11 (73)		“I guess it saved a little time, didn't have to drive there. But, you know, so it's basically a little more time-consuming to actually go there.” “Just saves the trip. Don't have to worry about trying to find a place to park or anything.”
	Safer	3 (20)		“With COVID-19 being prevalent, it felt safer…” “I'm just saying on my behalf, it was better for me to be at home, especially during the pandemic.”
	Generally easier/more convenient	5 (33)		“Of course you got to take the time off to get there.” “I didn’t have to wait to be seen or anything, when the call came I accepted the call and we went from there.” “It’s just far more easier and convenient.”
	More comfortable	7 (47)		“You’re much more comfortable in your own environments. That’s the way I felt. It’s not that staged clinical setting…there’s comfort in your own home, your own environment is very comforting and calming.” “You’re a little bit more comfortable with doing things because you know, you’re at home.”
	Greater privacy at home	3 (20)		“Obviously it's more private being at home because you can control, even though I have no issues with privacy when I came to the office.” “I live alone so nobody else was there. Nobody hearing my thoughts and it felt as if I could express myself a little better, for me.”
Challenges of remote clinic visits
	Less personal/less supportive	6 (40)		“I think connecting with the counselor was easier in person.” “It was more personal being there (in-person) compared to doing a Zoom meeting…” “You lose that factor of like meeting staff and other people there, that was kind of nice you know. Like knowing there’s something behind the program you are in.” “Sometimes it's easier just explaining things when you're there in person and you can show what kind of stuff.”
	Distractions at home	2 (13)		“I have 3 dogs that are really loud so I have to make sure they are all locked up” “People at home could, you know, hear my phone call…”
	Technology challenges	5 (33)		“Zoom is new to me. Video conferencing is new to me….” “I like it a lot better in person because I’m not a technology…”
	Less self-confidence in ability to quit	4 (27)		“I’m at home and I might pick up a cigarette.” “Probably a little less confident, but I did it. It was like, it's tough when you don't have friends or doctors and people that were rooting you on.”
	Less accountability	5 (33)		“I was preparing a little bit more [for office visits] than I do when just the phone rings.” “Driving there, part of me quitting is me thinking about quitting and I have spent half an hour to get there you know, and block out a portion of my day, hey, I can't wait to quit because when I do I won't have to do this anymore.” “For me personally, I tended to work on the homework in between sessions. On days prior to my sessions when it was in-person. At-home visits, I just didn't feel the accountability to do that at the at-home visits.”