obviate

ehkäistä, estää

poistaa puhekieltä To anticipate and prevent or bypass (something which would otherwise be necessary or required).
puhekieltä To avoid (a future problem or difficult situation).
1826, Richard Reece, A Practical Dissertation on the Means of Obviating & Treating the Varieties of Costiveness, http://books.google.com.au/books?id=0egAoM4YcLwC&pg=PA181&dq=%22obviate%22%7C%22obviates%22%7C%22obviating%22%7C%22obviated%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WbAAUbmMI4fIkQXz8ID4AQ&redir_esc=y page 181:

A mild dose of a warm active aperient to obviate costiveness, or to produce two motions daily, is generally very beneficial.

Some change requests, rather than extend the scope, obviate some of the existing scope of a project.

Thus, to obviate resistance, the discussion should be relevant to the patient′s problems.