Table 5 Intervention strategies: Illustrative quotes

'I would never discuss the interventions. We never got that far...we do not have clients that these things are practical for.' (Clinician 22)

Referral onward

'I think the most I have done is referred someone to Quitline but in terms...of doing anything I haven't really done a lot.' (Clinician 5)

Informing of health risks/benefits and lifestyle targets

'Recently, I saw a gentleman...probably early 70s who has obviously been a smoker all his life. He had quite a nasty area on his wound that was probably going to take quite a while to heal. I could just present him with the factors that I knew about smoking, and encourage him probably to reduce that intake, that we all know.' (Clinician 18)

Providing information or advice on how to change

'I asked him...if it was time that he thought he could probably give up smoking, that this was... impairing his breathing...and I pointed out to him that I could probably help him, refer him to a quit smoking campaign and he said he would like to be able to stop smoking but he can't so...I just left it with him...and if he felt that he needed, he wanted to pursue it then I could point him in the right direction to do that. That's all I can do in that situation....' (Clinician 20)

Change support

'The client last week said she'll cut down on her drinking. She is pregnant....She only drinks six cans of bourbon and coke a day now, probably half what she'd normally. we try and build up a little helping network around them and try and sort out why they are acting like that, we need to help them change their living environments or think that there is help to do it' (Clinician 10)