Table 4 Common obstacles to recruitment

Medical

• Pneumonia may be a vague diagnosis in hospital practice therefore large numbers of patients with respiratory infection need to be screened to find eligible patients

• Lack of capacity to give consent

Staff

• Lack of physician ‘buy-in’ and resistance to change

Social

• Hospital stay may be seen as a respite opportunity for some carers

Patient belief

• Some patients believe that they must be 100% better before hospital discharge; some were suspicious of a new or research-based service.