Chapter 11 378 communicate openly about the use of financial incentives, for example, following the work by van den Brand et al.5 and Poole et al.32 Second, our research focused on incentives for sustained abstinence; however, incentives can also be used to improve the attractiveness of the smoking cessation program itself, that is, rewarding signing up or completing the smoking cessation program. Most non-participants were not ready to quit but would ultimately like to. Strategies to improve participation among those in the pre-contemplation phase are an important topic for future research, as this group is currently not reached through smoking cessation programs. Furthermore, we timed the smoking cessation program to match the implementation of a smoke-free zone surrounding the Erasmus MC, as this seemed to be a logical combination. However, this was not how non-participating employees perceived it, showing the need to listen to the preferences and perspectives of employees who smoke. Involving employees in the design and implementation of workplace-based smoking cessation programs is crucial to their success. Finally, as demonstrated in the interviews, one size does not fit all and also applies to the smoking cessation programme itself. Personalization should not be limited to incentives alone, but could also be considered in, for example, the type of program (e.g., group-based vs. individual). Conclusion Our prematurely terminated trial precludes conclusions on the effectiveness of personalized incentives, in addition to a group-based smoking cessation program. Based on the high acceptance rates of the deposit scheme in our small sample, combining advice and free choice seems to facilitate successful implementation of deposit-based schemes. To improve participation rates in smoking cessation programs, future research should consider the reasons for non-participation and ideally work together with potential participants in designing the program. Trial registration: Netherlands Trial Register NL7711
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