Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of patients randomised to hospital at home care or hospital care.^* Values are numbers of patients unless stated otherwise

Characteristic	Hospital at home (n=101)			Hospital (n=96)
	Value	No of missing data		Value	No of missing data
Sociodemographic data
Median (interquartile range) age (years)	84 (77-89)	0		84 (77-89)	1
Female	73	0		67	1
White	93	7		91	4
Median (interquartile range) age when left school (years)	14 (14-15)	31		14 (14-16)	26
Living arrangements:		2			9
Alone	48			49
With others	48			33
Residential care	3			5
Housing tenure:		29			40
Rented	34			23
Owner occupier	37			33
Other	1			0
Median (interquartile range) No of people in household	1 (1-2)	28		1 (1-2)	27
Services required before enrolment:		22			22
Nursing	12			15
Home care	25			33
“Meals on wheels”	16			13
Chiropody	9			8
Physiotherapy	1			1
Occupational therapy	1			2
Initial assessment
Clifton assessment procedure for the elderly (CAPE):		0			5
0-8	38			28
9-12	63			63
Barthel index, median (interquartile range) score	9 (5-12)	0		9 (6-13)	3
Assessment at three days
Sickness impact profile 68, median (interquartile range) score	31 (25-37)	37		32 (25-35)	45
Philadelphia geriatric morale scale:		43			51
Low	31			19
Medium	14			18
High	13			8

^*Excludes two patients aged under 40, one from each treatment arm.