Over the last decade the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) has been on the rise while studies which describe how consumers use these products have been limited. Most studies related to the use of ENDS products have either been focused on use within a confined space (in which subjects are given a set period of time to use the product) or study designs that attempt to capture use over time, though few studies have been able to effectively generate cumulative/time-series datasets. The development of accurate and reliable data collection methods, generation of operational definitions for novel endpoints, and expansion of primary endpoints beyond those traditionally used for combustible cigarettes to reflect the additional complexity of ENDS use behavior may allow for a better understanding of how patterns of ENDS use change over time.

The Product Use and Behavior (PUB) instrument was used to capture how ENDS products are used in an ambulatory setting to best replicate real-world use behavior. Additionally, using a novel analytical approach, we were able to define sessions of use with an ENDS product. This approach allowed us to determine traditional topography endpoints such as total puffs, individual puff duration, and inter-puff interval while also determining novel session-related endpoints including puffs per session, time between sessions, sessions per day, and session length.

Collecting topography data in an ambulatory setting, and understanding product use in the context of sessions, allows for a more complete understanding of ENDS use patterns. This approach to capturing and analyzing ENDS data provides a better understanding of the potential impact the use of ENDS products have on public health.