2.2. Participants and Randomization
RECRUITMENT, CEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE, DISEASES, ISCHAEMIC STROKE
Trial enrolment was completed between September 2017 and February 2018. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were aged from 18 to 65 years and had undergone implantation of a mechanical valve in the aortic or mitral position or both. Patients who had suffered from recent (within 30 days) ischaemic stroke, cerebral haemorrhage, or other serious diseases and female patients who were planning to be pregnant were excluded.Eligible patients were invited to participate in the study when they joined our warfarin education course. We used a random number generator to randomize the patients after enrolment at a ratio of 1 : 1. No patients were involved in the design of our study or the development of research questions and outcome measures. None of the patients were involved in patient recruitment or in conducting the study. No patients took part in the assessment of the intervention. There were no plans to involve patients in the dissemination of the study results.