Table 2.
Patient Characteristics in Selected Study Years
| 1994 | 1996 | 1998 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of study patients | 210,742 | 210,208 | 174,796 |
| Initially admitted to hospital with a hospital–physician affiliation | 74.3* | 82.9* | 80.7* |
| Female | 48.6 | 50.0 | 50.8 |
| Black | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ages 65 to 69 | 21.0 | 19.6 | 18.0 |
| Ages 70 to 74 | 23.7 | 23.2 | 21.8 |
| Ages 75 to 79 | 21.4 | 22.0 | 22.3 |
| Ages 80 to 89 | 29.0 | 29.8 | 31.6 |
| Ages 90 to 99 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 6.4 |
| Receiving catheter within 90 days of AMI | 45.4 | 48.5 | 50.3 |
| Receiving PTCA or CABG within 90 days of AMI | 31.5 | 35.2 | 37.5 |
| Mean Medicare hospital payments within 90 days of AMI | $14,202 | $16,118 | $17,068 |
| Readmitted with an AMI within 90 days of initial AMI | 1.8* | 1.9* | 2.0* |
| Dying within 90 days of initial AMI | 24.4 | 24.4 | 24.4 |
*
Figures expressed as percents.
Notes: AMI = acute myocardial infarction; PTCA = percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; CABG = coronary artery bypass graft.