For this version of the review, Patricia Fearon updated and carried out the literature searches, reanalyzed the data and redrafted the manuscript. Peter Langhorne supervised the update and revised the draft manuscript. The Early Supported Discharge Trialists group provided original data, data interpretation and redrafted the manuscript.

For the previous version of the review (ESD trialists 2005) Peter Langhorne initiated the study, drafted the original protocol, co‐ordinated the project and drafted the original manuscript. Peter Langhorne, Martin Dennis and Gillian Taylor formed the writing committee. Gillian Taylor, Peter Langhorne and Gordon Murray conducted the original statistical analyses. The Early Supported Discharge Trialists group provided original data, data interpretation and redrafted the manuscript.

Early Supported Discharge Trialists group consisted of: Craig Anderson (Sydney), Erik Bautz‐Holter (Oslo), Martin Dennis (Secretariat) Paola Dey (Manchester), Bent Indredavik (Trondheim), Birgitte Jepson (West Denmark), Peter Langhorne (Co‐ordinator), Nancy Mayo (Montreal), Paul Mogensen (West Denmark), Gordon Murray (Stastician), Michael Power (Belfast), Helen Rodgers (Newcastle), Ole Morten Ronning (Akershus), Anthony Rudd (London), Silvana Santana (Aviero), Nijasri Suwanwela (Bangkok), Gillian Taylor (Statistician), Lotta Widen‐Holmqvist (Stockholm) and Charles Wolfe (London). All contributed to the study design, data collection, and analysis and revision of the manuscript.