Progress

Phase 1 of the SmokeCheck Program began in August 2007 and was conducted over an 18 month period in 2007-2008. Phase 1 was evaluated to:

• assess the impact of the training program on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Aboriginal Health Workers (AHW) and other health practitioners who had participated in the training; and
• assess the effectiveness of the organisational and professional support received by AHWs to provide a quit smoking intervention with their clients following the workshop training.

A comprehensive contact database has been developed, comprising of key contacts in Local Health Districts (previously known as Area Health Services) and all workers trained across NSW in the SmokeCheck brief intervention. A denominator (total number) of AHW positions in NSW was also defined.

Results of the evaluation for 2007-2008 were positive in terms of program reach and training outcomes, with 35% of the NSW AHW workforce participating in the training workshops. There were also significant increases in health practitioner confidence, skills and knowledge. As well, the number of AHWs who reported living in smoke free homes increased by 11%. The total results of Phase 1 are published in the Final Report: The NSW SmokeCheck Aboriginal Tobacco Prevention Project 2007 - 2008.

A review process undertaken in June-July 2009 resulted in the development of the SmokeCheck Phase 2 Project Plan. The emphasis for Phase 2 will be on addressing barriers to using brief intervention in routine practice for Aboriginal health practitioners and service managers. Phase 2 will continue to run SmokeCheck Training Workshops and develop a new project - The Health Services Integration Project. As well, the SmokeCheck Program will provide AHWs seeking to quit smoking with information about available support programs in their workplaces and community.

SmokeCheck workshops have been held throughout NSW. The dots on map below identify where the workshops have taken place, from 2007 to July 2010.