Study	Reason for exclusion
Aadalen 1998	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Aaronson 1996	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Alcaide 1990	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Alfaro 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Allen 2002	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
anonymous 1995a	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 1995b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 1995c	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 1996a	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 1996b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 2001a	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 2001b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
anonymous 2001c	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Appel 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Arthur 2002	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Austin 1996	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Avlund 2002	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Bailey 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Barsevick 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Bartlett 1976	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Bean 1995	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Beard 1978	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Bedeian 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Beebe 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Behrns 2000	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Benatar 2003	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Bennett 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Bergstrom 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Berkman 1999	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Berry 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Biermann 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Biermann 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Blake 1990	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Blue 2001	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Booker 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Bostelman 1994	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Boter 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Bourbeau 2003	The intervention does not take place at least once within the first month after hospital disharge.
Branch 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Brandis 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Brandt 1994	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Brooks 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Caison 1997	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Cave 1989	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Celestino 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Chong 2003	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Chow 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Cleuren 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Cooper 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Craddock 1999	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Dale 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Dantas 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Dardik 1997	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
DeBusk 1985	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
DeBusk 1994	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Dellasega 2000	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Delores 2000	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Doolittle 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Dunn 1995	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Eaton 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Edwards 1997	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Elliott 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Engelman 1994	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Estey 1990	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Evans 1985	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Ezenkwele 2003	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Faithfull 2001	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Farrero 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Ferrigno 2001	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Fitzgerald 1985	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Fleming 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Fowler 1992	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Frank 1986	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Frank 1987	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Frasure‐Smith 1985	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Frasure‐Smith 1991	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Frasure‐Smith 1992	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Frasure‐Smith 1997	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Frasure‐Smith 2002	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Fretwell 1990	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Friedman 1998a	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Friedman 1998b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Fukuda 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Gagnon 1997	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Gagnon 1999	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Gagnon 2002	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Gallagher 2003	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Galt 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Gamboa 2002a	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Gamboa 2002b	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Garland 1992	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Garnett 1981	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Genev 1990	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Gilliss 1993	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Glasgow 1995	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Glasgow 1996	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Glasgow 1997	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Glasgow 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Glasgow 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Glasgow 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Goes 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Gortner 1988	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Grancelli 2003	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Greineder 1995	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Greineder 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Griffin 1989	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Grunfeld 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Gulliford 1997	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Harrison 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Hartmann 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Hasseler 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Hauber 2002	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Hayes 2001a	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Hayes 2001b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Heidenreich 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Heller 1993	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Hendricks 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Hernandez 2003	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Hickey 1996	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Higgins 2001	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Hillebrand 1996	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Hornblow 1980	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Hoskins 1985	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Hoskins 2001	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Houzard 1998	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Hui 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Intagliata 1976	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Jahanshahi 1994	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
James 1994	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Joffe 1995	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Johnson 2000a	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Johnson 2000b	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Johnson 2000c	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Jolly 2003	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Jones 1988b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Jones 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Jowers 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Kasper 2002	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Kelly 1999	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
King 1991	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Kirkman 1994	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Kirscht 1981	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Kokubu 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Kokubu 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Korner‐Bitensky 1994	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Kramer 2003	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Kunik 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Lando 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Laramee 2003	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Lear 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Lear 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Lee 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Liew 1994	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Litzelman 1993	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Lundblad 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Lynch 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
MacMahon 1999	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Madge 1997	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Madonna 1999	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Maiman 1979	The intervention does not take place at least once within the first month after hospital disharge.
Maisiak 1996a	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Maisiak 1996b	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Manian 1993	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Marcus 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Marrero 1995	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Mason 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Maunsell 1996	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
McCorkle 2000	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
McDonald 2002	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
McGrath 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
McIntosh 1994	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
McMurray 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
McNamara 1995	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Meenan 1998	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Miller 1995	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Miller 1997a	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Miller 1997b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Miller 2002a	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Miller 2002b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Miranda 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Mishel 2002	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Mohlman 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Mohr 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Moran 1998	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Morrison 2001	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Napolitano 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Naylor 1999	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Nelson 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Newman 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Nicklin 1986	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Nijdam 1999	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Northouse 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
O'Neill 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Oddone 1999	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Oh 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Pal 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Pal 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Palmer 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Palmer 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Peterson 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Pidd 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Poncia 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Powell 2001	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Powers 1983	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Proctor 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Pugh 1999	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Racelis 1998	The intervention does not take place at least once within the first month after hospital disharge.
Rakowski 1994	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Rauh 1999	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Rawl 1998	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Rawl 2002	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Rene 1992	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Rich 1995	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Riegel 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Riegel 2000	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Rieger 1995	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Ries 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Rigotti 1997	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Riley 1989	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Roberts 1995	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Roglieri 1997	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Romano 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Rosbe 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Rosswurm 1998	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Ruchlin 2001	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Sanders 1997	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Sandgren 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Sandgren 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Sardell 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Schatz 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Schectman 1994	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Schultz 1993	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Sciamanna 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Shah 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Shapiro 1995	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Shon 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Shu 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Siegel 1992	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Simon 1997	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Simon 2003	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Sluijk 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Smeenk 1998a	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Smeenk 1998b	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Smith 1988	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Smith 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Sneed 1997	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Soskolne 1993	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Sparacino 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Stanislaw 1994	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Steel 2003	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Stevens 1993	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Stevens 2000	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Stewart 1998	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Strecher 1983	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Strinko 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Svahn 2002	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Taylor 1990	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Taylor 1996	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Taylor 1997	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Taylor‐Davis 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Thewissen 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Thompson 1999	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Tiippana 2003	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Tkachuk 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Townsend 1996	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Turner 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Tyc 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Valanis 2001	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Valanis 2002	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Valanis 2003	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Vale 2002	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
van Beelen 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
van Elderen 1994	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
van Elderen 2001	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Varma 1999	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Vogel 1996	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Vrehen 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Wade 1998	Outcomes are not measured at least once within 3 months after discharge.
Walker 1999	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
Warden 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Wasson 1992	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Weinberger 1991	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Weinberger 1993	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Weinberger 1998	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Weinstein 1996	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Welch 2000	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Wells 2003	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Wewers 1994	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Wilbourne 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Wong 2001a	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Wong 2001b	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Wulsin 2002	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.
York 1997	Effects of the TFU can not be isolated and analyzed to some degree.
Young 2000	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Zahlmann 2002	Study does not concern patients discharged from hospital to home.
Zeegers 1997	Does not present results of a controlled trial.
Zorc 2003	Intervention is not a telephone follow‐up by a hospital based professional to patient.