Table 1.
Characteristics of the non-long stayers (n = 222), long stayers (n = 63) and total population (N = 285)
| Full population | Non-long stayers | Long stayers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention group (N = 148) | Control group (N = 137) | Total (N = 285) | Intervention group (N = 106) | Control group (N = 116) | Total (N = 222) | Intervention group (N = 42) | Control group (N = 21) | Total (N = 63) | |
| Age, years | |||||||||
| Mean (SD) | 82.8 (6.0) | 82.1 (5.9) | 82.5 (6.0) | 82.4 (6.1) | 81.9 (5.9) | 82.2 (6.0) | 83.9 (5.9) | 82.9 (6.1) | 83.5 (5.9) |
| 70–74 years, n (%)a | 16 (10.8) | 21 (15.3) | 37 (13.0) | 12 (11.3) | 19 (16.4) | 31 (14.0) | 4 (9.5) | 2 (9.5) | 6 (9.5) |
| 75–79 years, n (%)a | 27 (18.2) | 24 (17.5) | 51 (17.9) | 20 (18.9) | 19 (16.4) | 39 (17.6) | 7 (16.7) | 5 (23.8) | 12 (19.1) |
| 80–84 years, n (%)a | 44 (29.7) | 42 (30.7) | 86 (30.2) | 32 (30.2) | 39 (33.6) | 71 (32.0) | 12 (28.6) | 3 (14.3) | 15 (23.8) |
| ≥ 85 years, n (%)a | 61 (41.2) | 50 (36.5) | 111 (39.0) | 42 (39.6) | 39 (33.6) | 81 (36.5) | 19 (45.2) | 11 (52.4) | 30 (47.6) |
| Sex, n (%) | |||||||||
| Female | 74 (54.0) | 98 (66.2) | 172 (60.4) | 69 (65.1) | 65 (56.0) | 134 (60.4) | 29 (69.1) | 9 (42.9) | 38 (60.3) |
| Level of education, n (%) | |||||||||
| Low (< 12 years) | 75 (52.8) | 73 (54.1) | 148 (53.4) | 52 (49.1) | 64 (55.2) | 116 (52.3) | 23 (54.8) | 9 (42.9) | 32 (50.8) |
| High (> 12 years) | 67 (47.2) | 62 (45.9) | 129 (46.6) | 50 (47.2) | 50 (43.1) | 100 (45.1) | 17 (40.5) | 12 (57.1) | 29 (46.0) |
| Missing | 6 (4.1) | 2 (1.5) | 8 (2.8) | 4 (3.8) | 2 (1.7) | 6 (2.7) | 2 (4.8) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.2) |
| Living status, n (%) | |||||||||
| Home-dwelling before included | 137 (92.6) | 129 (94.2) | 266 (93.3) | 100 (94.3) | 111 (95.7) | 211 (95.1) | 37 (88.1) | 18 (85.7) | 55 (87.3) |
| Living alone before included | 86 (58.5) | 82 (59.9) | 168 (59.2) | 59 (56.2) | 69 (59.5) | 128 (57.9) | 27 (64.3) | 13 (61.9) | 40 (63.5) |
| Discharged home | 113 (76.4) | 101 (74.3) | 214 (75.4) | 91 (85.9) | 91 (78.5) | 182 (82.0) | 22 (52.4) | 10 (50.0) | 32 (51.6) |
| Need for assistance, n (%) | |||||||||
| Home-care services | 75 (50.7) | 77 (56.2) | 152 (53.3) | 48 (45.3) | 63 (54.3) | 111 (50.0) | 27 (64.3) | 14 (66.7) | 41 (65.1) |
| Multidose adherence aid | 43 (29.0) | 48 (35.0) | 91 (31.9) | 28 (25.5) | 38 (32.8) | 65 (29.3) | 16 (38.1) | 10 (47.6) | 26 (41.3) |
| Handling own medications | 77 (52.0) | 64 (46.7) | 141 (49.5) | 59 (55.7) | 58 (50.0) | 117 (52.7) | 18 (42.9) | 6 (28.6) | 24 (38.1) |
| Medication use, admission, mean (SD) | |||||||||
| Number of medications regular use | 6.6 (4.0) | 7.4 (4.0) | 7.0 (4.0) | 6.8 (4.1) | 7.2 (4.0) | 7.0 (4.0) | 6.4 (3.9) | 8.5 (3.9) | 7.1 (4.0) |
| Number of medications total | 8.7 (5.1) | 9.6 (5.4) | 9.1 (5.2) | 8.8 (5.1) | 9.4 (5.4) | 9.1 (5.3) | 8.5 (5.1) | 10.5 (5.1) | 9.1 (5.2) |
| Medications total < 5, n (%)a | 31 (21.0) | 23 (16.8) | 54 (19.0) | 20 (18.9) | 22 (19.0) | 42 (18.9) | 11 (26.2) | 1 (4.8) | 12 (19.1) |
| Medications total ≥ 5, n (%)a | 117 (79.1) | 114 (83.2) | 231 (81.1) | 86 (81.1) | 94 (81.0) | 180 (81.1) | 31 (73.8) | 20 (95.2) | 51 (81.0) |
| Medication use, discharge, mean (SD) | |||||||||
| Number of medications regular use | 7.0 (3.6) | 7.6 (3.8) | 7.3 (3.7) | 6.9 (3.5) | 7.5 (3.9) | 7.2 (3.7) | 7.3 (3.8) | 8.1 (3.4) | 7.6 (3.6) |
| Number of medications total | 10.3 (5.0) | 10.4 (5.5) | 10.3 (5.2) | 10.2 (5.0) | 10.3 (5.6) | 10.2 (5.3) | 10.8 (5.0) | 10.7 (4.5) | 10.7 (4.8) |
| Medications total < 5, n (%)a | 16 (10.8) | 16 (11.7) | 32 (11.2) | 12 (11.3) | 15 (12.9) | 27 (12.2) | 4 (9.5) | 1 (4.8) | 5 (7.9) |
| Medications total ≥ 5, n (%)a | 132 (89.2) | 121 (88.3) | 253 (88.8) | 94 (88.7) | 101 (87.1) | 195 (87.8) | 38 (90.5) | 20 (95.2) | 58 (92.1) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index, mean (SD) | 2.1 (1.8) | 2.5 (2.0) | 2.3 (1.9) | 2.1 (1.8) | 2.4 (2.0) | 2.3 (1.9) | 2.2 (1.7) | 3.0 (1.7) | 2.5 (1.7) |
| Comorbidities in admission notes, n (%) | |||||||||
| Hypertension | 75 (51.7) | 69 (50.4) | 144 (50.5) | 54 (50.9) | 58 (50.0) | 110 (49.6) | 21 (50.0) | 11 (52.4) | 32 (50.8) |
| Asthma or COPD | 44 (29.7) | 38 (27.7) | 82 (28.8) | 34 (32.1) | 33 (28.5) | 67 (30.2) | 10 (23.8) | 5 (23.8) | 15 (23.8) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 37 (25.0) | 42 (30.7) | 79 (27.7) | 25 (23.6) | 36 (31.0) | 61 (27.5) | 12 (28.6) | 6 (28.6) | 18 (28.6) |
| Diabetes | 28 (18.9) | 31 (22.6) | 59 (20.7) | 21 (19.8) | 25 (21.6) | 46 (20.7) | 7 (16.7) | 6 (28.6) | 13 (20.6) |
| Heart failure | 24 (16.2) | 21 (15.3) | 45 (15.8) | 14 (13.2) | 17 (14.7) | 31 (14.0) | 10 (23.8) | 4 (19.1) | 14 (22.2) |
| Renal failure | 24 (16.2) | 21 (15.3) | 45 (15.8) | 14 (13.2) | 16 (13.8) | 30 (13.5) | 4 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (6.4) |
| Anxiety/depression | 17 (11.5) | 11 (8.0) | 28 (9.8) | 11 (10.4) | 10 (8.6) | 21 (9.5) | 10 (23.8) | 5 (23.8) | 15 (23.8) |
| Dementia | 7 (4.7) | 4 (2.9) | 11 (3.9) | 3 (2.8) | 4 (3.5) | 7 (3.2) | 4 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (6.4) |
| Died during the study period, n (%) | 14 (9.5) | 12 (8.8) | 26 (9.1) | 7 (6.6) | 10 (8.6) | 17 (7.7) | 7 (16.7) | 2 (9.5) | 9 (14.3) |
| Study ward, n (%) | |||||||||
| Ward 1 | 117 (79.1) | 103 (75.2) | 220 (77.2) | 80 (75.5) | 85 (73.3) | 165 (74.3) | 37 (88.1) | 18 (85.7) | 55 (87.3) |
| Ward 2 | 31 (21.0) | 34 (24.8) | 65 (22.8) | 26 (24.5) | 31 (26.7) | 57 (25.7) | 5 (11.9) | 3 (14.3) | 8 (12.8) |
aPercentages were rounded
COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; SD standard deviation; CI confidence interval