Based on Greenhalgh's suggestions we incorporated in our study a clear treatment advice for the participating clinicians in order to avoid difficulties around the interpretations of health status scores.
The study design, purpose and methods were described, for example, stressing the importance of inviting ALL eligible people to participate in CREW, in order to avoid bias, allowing time for a sharing of knowledge and processes between centres.
It should be pointed out that the questions were not asked in the process of sending the e-mail containing the invitation to participate in the survey, in order to avoid as much as possible distortions and false responses.
Half of the programmes offered in Europe are voluntary ones [7], whereby the mode of voluntary participation must be seen with caution as offenders are often "forced to participate on a voluntary base" in order to avoid further negative sanctions or measures.
An advantage of the study, however, is that patients who have previously experienced compulsory measures in psychiatry may now have a strong interest to participate in such a programme in order to avoid further compulsory admission.
The dementia SCUs participating in this study are not allowed to exchange staff between SCUs, in order to avoid carry-over effects, and thus dilution of the effect.
In order to avoid prosecution by law and increase participation, anonymity and confidentiality were guaranteed to the drug users when they participated in the survey.
Each participating institution should preferably select one of the regimens for their patients, before randomisation, in order to avoid bias.
The sole exclusion criterion was that the PCP had not already consented to participate in the study based on consent of another one of their patients referred to CR, in order to avoid duplicate PCP interviews.
In order to avoid alienating patients by collecting potentially sensitive information,[ 3] the participating HMOs as well as most providers throughout country, do not routinely collect demographic variables of children or their parents.
