Comparison 1. Patient outcomes.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Functional status			Other data	No numeric data
2 Psychological well-being			Other data	No numeric data
3 Cognitive status			Other data	No numeric data
4 Patient satisfaction			Other data	No numeric data
5 Pain			Other data	No numeric data
6 Survival time from referral to death			Other data	No numeric data
7 Mortality			Other data	No numeric data
8 Dying at home	3	652	Risk Ratio (M-H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.33 [1.14, 1.55]
9 Time spent at home in the last 2 weeks of life			Other data	No numeric data
10 Dying in a nursing home			Other data	No numeric data
11 Admitted to hospital	4		Risk Ratio (M-H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Totals not selected
12 Dying in hospital	1	113	Risk Ratio (M-H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.12 [0.82, 1.52]
13 Dying in a nursing home	1	113	Risk Ratio (M-H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.47 [0.17, 1.32]
14 GPs’ ratings of patients anxiety			Other data	No numeric data
15 GPs’ ratings of patients depression			Other data	No numeric data
16 Severity of illness			Other data	No numeric data
17 Number of inpatient days	1	113	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	−4.30 [−13.88, 5.28]