Programme homogeneity across groups was maintained through standardised topics, tools, metaphors and handouts, delivered by the same clinicians.
The intervention in ETIC is novel because it is standardised with the topics generally used (clinical alarm signs, physical activity, diet and cardiovascular risk factors) [ 35], but it also involves a holistic approach, centred on the patients' needs and feelings and taking into consideration their comorbidities and the representations of their disease [ 36].
The interviewer probes were standardised using an interview topic guide based on the four-stage model of question response proposed by Tourangeau: comprehension, retrieval, judgement and response [ 19].
The information and education is standardised and covers the topics of: why does it hurt: pain management; information on how to modify physical activity; how to return slowly to sports; how to cope with knee pain, and information on how to increase knee alignment during sit-to-stand, standing, walking, stair walking and bicycling.
The education sessions are standardised both in their timing, every three months, and topics covered (Table 2).
Thus, the intervention programme was based on eight lifestyle topics incorporated within 12 activities which were disseminated over 12 sessions (1 h/activity/session), and prepared, standardised and implemented as four activities per school academic year by the HPAs in the school classrooms.
23 Each of the eight topics described in figure 1 was integrated within educational intervention activities of 1 h/activity, prepared and standardised by the HPAs, and implemented in the children's classrooms.
It should be standardised.
Was its wording standardised?
