Table 1.
Characteristics of hospital inpatients at randomisation to post-acute care in nurse-led unit or conventional care. Figures are numbers (percentages) of patients unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Nurse-led unit (n=119) | Conventional care (n=121) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years): | ||
| Mean (SD) | 72.2 (8.50) | 69.3 (9.73) |
| Range | 37-91 | 31-81 |
| Sex: | ||
| Male | 61 (51) | 48 (39) |
| Female | 58 (49) | 73 (60) |
| Living arrangements before hospital admission: | ||
| Institutional care | 8 (7) | 7 (6) |
| Living alone | 73/117 (62) | 70/121 (58) |
| Receiving home nursing services if not in nursing home | 10/83 (12) | 7/82 (9) |
| Receiving social services if not in residential care | 29/76 (38) | 25/77 (32) |
| Medical diagnosis at admission: | ||
| Respiratory: | 21 (18) | 22 (18) |
| Exacerbation of chronic problem | 21 | 21 |
| Cardiovascular: | 33 (29) | 37 (31) |
| Stroke | 12 | 18 |
| Unstable angina or myocardial infarction | 4 | 4 |
| Chronic heart disease | 17 | 15 |
| Gastrointestinal: | 14 (12) | 6 (5) |
| Ulcer | 9 | 2 |
| Other | 5 | 4 |
| Symptoms or signs*: | 16 (14) | 13 (11) |
| Syncope or collapse | 6 | 6 |
| Other*: | 30 (26) | 41 (34) |
| Urinary tract infection | 4 | 4 |
| Physical function at admission (Barthel index†): | ||
| Mean (SD) | 63.5 (23.5) | 60.3 (22.8) |
| Range | 0-100 | 0-100 |
| Reason for referral to nurse-led unit: | ||
| Social | 31 (26) | 34 (28) |
| Rehabilitation | 24 (20) | 27 (22) |
| Other | 17 (14) | 16 (13) |
| None given | 47 (36) | 44 (36) |
| Cognitively impaired at randomisation | 39/114 (34) | 32/119 (27) |
*
These two categories are extremely varied, and only the most common diagnoses in each group are given.
†
100 point scale with higher values indicating better function.