Mador 2004.

Methods	Randomised trial ‐ Behaviour Advisory Service compared with Usual Care. Study duration: 9 days.
Participants	71 patients with dementia and behavioural disturbance judged to be problematic with a mean age: 82.5.
Interventions	Staff Training Hospital Behaviour Advisory Service Usual Care Primary aim of intervention: Modify level of patient agitation over time, appropriateness of psychotropics, length of stay, discharge destination, falls, restraint use and CG satisfaction with care provided. (See Table 2)
Outcomes	Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS) Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) Discharge destination Falls Restraint use CG satisfaction with care Length of stay (See Table 3)
Notes	Country or origin: South Australia Patients assessed within 24 hours of randomisation. Nurse formulated management plan with respect to non‐pharmacological strategies to help manage patients problematic behaviours, discussed the plan with ward nursing staff and provided ongoing support and education for nursing staff.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Pragmatic randomised controlled trial. 'Patients were randomised' (not by ward or hospital only by patient).
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Randomisation by hospital pharmacy department using sequential sealed opaque envelopes by external person using stratified blocks. Computer generated random numbers, allocation via external person.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	It is not reported if a manual was used or whether checks were completed to ensure accurate delivery of the intervention. The level of blinding of participants and personnel is not reported. Adherence was not formally measured 'it is possible that, although the EPN was offering advice and providing frequent follow‐up visits to reinforce their suggestions, the ward nursing staff were not carrying out the strategies suggested'.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Unsure as to the level of blinding of the EPN. Ward nurses conducted assessments unsure as to level of blinding. 'Treatment and control patients were both nursed on the same wards so it is possible that nursing staff may have picked up on useful strategies and applied them to the control group'.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	All reported (4 died, 67 discharged).
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Only follow‐up data for the PAS is reported (in the abstract).
Other bias	Unclear risk	No other potential sources of bias identified.