Table.

Recruitment and participants

Group	No in group (No male)	Method of recruitment
General practitioners	5 (4)	Written invitation to practices in one area, allied to research consortium
General practitioners (teaching and academic)	5 (4)	Written invitation to doctors employed by one university
Cardiologists from district general hospitals	5 (4)	Written invitation and telephone calls to cardiologists in hospitals in one region
Cardiologists from tertiary referral centre	3 (3)	Introduction by member of study steering group, written invitation and telephone calls
Geriatricians	6 (5)	Introduction by local secretary of the British Geriatric Society, written invitation plus telephone calls
General medicine doctors	4 (2)	Written invitation and telephone calls to physicians at hospitals in one area
Palliative care doctors	6 (1)	Introduction via member of steering group, held after subregional meeting

All hospital and palliative care doctors were NHS consultants.