Facilitating changes in perinatal smoking. The impact of a stage-based workshop for care-providers in British Columbia.

To determine the impact of stage-based smoking cessation workshops for perinatal care-providers.A one-day workshop was designed and piloted with perinatal care-providers in Comox Valley, British Columbia. Dissemination to eight other communities followed. Pre- and post-questionnaires were collected from 270 care-providers. Clients (n = 115) were interviewed after contact with a care-provider.Workshops increased care-provider knowledge (p < 0.0001), confidence to address smoking with clients (p < 0.0001), and perceived ability to help clients across the stages of change (p < 0.0001). There was an increase in use of the model (p < 0.0001) by care-providers, with 86% reporting changing their work with perinatal clients and 75% applying it beyond that setting. A significant shift in client readiness to change occurred during the pilot (p = 0.001) and dissemination (p = 0.013). Eighty percent of dissemination clients reported altering smoking behaviours as a result of intervention and 36% made at least one attempt to quit. Client satisfaction was high. Spin-off benefits included increased community collaboration, and capacity.