Online Data Supplement

Staff Training Prior to the initiation of the program, the occupational healthcare advisors of the three study centres received specific training in smoking cessation counselling skills. For this, a standardized manual of smoking cessation training for healthcare professionals was used [1]. In addition, techniques of brief motivational counselling advice were practiced. While employees from the University Hospital Basel and F. Hoffman-La Roche AG were supported by the same healthcare advisors at a single location, Novartis Pharma AG outsourced study management to five different subcentres with changing healthcare advisors.