Summary of findings for the main comparison. Outpatient compared with inpatient treatment for acute pulmonary embolism.

Outpatient compared with inpatient treatment for acute pulmonary embolism
Patient or population: people with low‐risk acute pulmonary embolism Settings: outpatient and inpatient settings Intervention: outpatient setting1 Comparison: inpatient setting2
Outcomes	Anticipated absolute effects* (95% CI)		Relative effect (95% CI)	No. of participants (RCTs)	Quality of the evidence (GRADE)	Comments
	risk with inpatient setting	risk with outpatient setting
Short‐term all‐cause mortality Follow‐up: 7‐10 days after randomisation	Study population		RR 0.33 (0.01 to 7.98)	453 (2)	⊕⊕⊝⊝ low3	1/168 deaths in the inpatient group vs 0/171 deaths in the outpatient group. No deaths occurred in Peacock 2018. No deaths reported by Aujesky 2011 were PE‐related.
	4 per 1000	1 per 1000 (0 to 35)
Long‐term all‐cause mortality Follow‐up: 90 days after randomisation	Study population		RR 0.98 (0.06 to 15.58)	4514 (2)	⊕⊕⊝⊝ low3	1/168 deaths in the inpatient group vs 1/171 deaths in the outpatient group. No deaths occurred in Peacock 2018. No deaths reported by Aujesky 2011 were PE‐related.
	4 per 1000	4 per 1000 (0 to 68)
Major bleeding Follow‐up: 14 days after randomisation	Not estimable		RR 4.91 (0.24 to 101.57)	445 (2)	⊕⊕⊝⊝ low3	0/168 major bleeding events in the inpatient group vs 2/171 major bleeding events in the outpatient group. No major bleeding occurred in Peacock 2018.
Major bleeding Follow‐up: 90 days after randomisation	Not estimable		RR 6.88 (0.36 to 132.14)	445 (2)	⊕⊕⊝⊝ low3	0/168 major bleeding events in the inpatient group vs 3/171 major bleeding events in the outpatient group. No major bleeding occurred in Peacock 2018.
Minor bleeding	Study population		RR 1.08 (0.07 to 16.79)	106 (1)	⊕⊕⊝⊝ low3	One participant in each treatment arm reported minor bleeding.
	18 per 1000	20 per 1000 (1 to 305)
Recurrent PE Follow‐up: within 90 days	Not estimable		RR 2.95 (CI 0.12 to 71.85)	445 (2)	⊕⊕⊝⊝ low3	0/168 recurrent PE in inpatient groups vs 1/171 recurrent PE in the outpatient group, had a recurrent PE within 90 days. No recurrent PE occurred in Peacock 2018.
*The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; RCT: randomised controlled trial; RR: risk ratio; PE: pulmonary embolism
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate.

¹ Outpatients received subcutaneous enoxaparin twice daily (Aujesky 2011); or rivaroxaban 15 mg orally twice daily for the first 21 days, followed by 20 mg orally once daily for approximately 69 days, for a total treatment duration of 90 days (Peacock 2018).
 ² In Aujesky 2011, the inpatient group was admitted to hospital and received subcutaneous enoxaparin 1 mg/kg twice daily. In Peacock 2018, the inpatient group was admitted to hospital and received variable pharmacotherapy (standard‐of‐care treatment).
 ³ We downgraded by two levels due to the overall small sample size, small number of events, imprecision in the confidence intervals and the fact that publication bias could not be discounted.
 ⁴ Additional information was requested from the study authors but as they were unable to provide it, we used only the available data.