Table 1.
Characteristics of Four Elderly Populations in British Columbia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania During the Baseline Year
| British Columbia (Cardio-vasc.*) | New Jersey/ PAAD (Cardio-vasc.*) | New Jersey/ PAAD (Total) | Pennsylvania/ PACE (Total) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 141,161 | 108,247 | 235,881 | 230,913 |
| Age, y (±SD) | 75.4 (±6.7) | 76.7 (±7.2) | 77.6 (±7.5) | 77.6 (±7.0) |
| Female, % | 58.0 | 78.0 | 77.2 | 80.7 |
| Average number of all hospitalizations | 0.36 (±0.9) | 0.49 (±1.0) | 0.39 (±0.9) | 0.48 (±1.0) |
| Average number of distinct prescription drugs† (±SD) | 7.4 (±5.1) | 9.4 (±6.0) | 7.7 (±5.9) | 6.5 (±4.6) |
| Average number of distinct ICD diagnoses‡ (±SD) | 3.5 (±2.7) | 9.3 (±9.0) | 8.1 (±8.8) | 14.6 (±10.8)§ |
| Average number of physician visits/services (±SD) | 8.8 (±8.6) | 9.9 (±8.4) | 8.5 (±8.4) | 14.0 (±12.0)§ |
*
Restricted to patients receiving ACE inhibitors or calcium channel blockers during the observation period.
†
Prescription medications that have different chemical structures but may be of the same therapeutic group.
‡
ICD-9 diagnoses at hospital discharge and ambulatory care visits that differ in their first 3 digits.
§
The Pennsylvania claims databases allowed for more diagnostic and service coding for ambulatory care.