Methods	RCT Concealment of allocation: DONE Follow up of patients: 4 months Blinded assessment of outcomes: YES (ASSESSOR, NOT PATIENT) Baseline measurement: DONE Reliable primary outcome measure: DONE Protection against contamination: DONE
Participants	Location: Australia (3 metropolitan hospitals, Adelaide) Patients with a hip fracture, excluded from participating if they did not have a telephone at home or inadequate social support Median age: treatment = 81.6; control = 83.5 Treatment = 34 Control = 32
Interventions	Hospital at home (early discharge) Type of service: rehabilitation: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapist, social worker, therapy aid, nursing care, and assistance with shopping and cleaning; based on short term treatment goals negotiated with patient and carer. Therapy adapted to rate of patient’s progress Control group: in-patient hospital care
Outcomes	Mobility (Timed Up & Go) Physical function: activities - specific Balance Confidence Scale, Falls Efficacy Scale, Berg Balance Scale, London Handicap Scale Health related quality of life (SF 36) Adverse events Patient & carer satisfaction Carer strain (Caregiver Strain Index)
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors’ judgement	Support for judgement
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	A - Adequate