Table 1.
Characteristics of Patients Discharged Before and After Implementation of a Standardized Electronic Discharge Instruction Process (N = 34,088)
| Characteristic | Pre-implementation cohort n = 16,572 | Post-implementation cohort n = 17,516 | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age—n (%) | |||
| <30 | 2,279 (13.8) | 2,438 (13.9) | 0.24 |
| 30–39 | 2,087 (12.6) | 2,158 (12.3) | |
| 40–49 | 2,333 (14.1) | 2,521 (14.4) | |
| 50–59 | 2,721 (16.4) | 2,901 (16.6) | |
| 60–69 | 2,526 (15.2) | 2,797 (16.0) | |
| 70–79 | 2,521 (15.2) | 2,548 (14.6) | |
| 80+ | 2,105 (12.7) | 2,153 (12.3) | |
| Male sex—n (%) | 7,363 (44.4) | 7,804 (44.6) | 0.82 |
| Race—n (%) | |||
| White | 15,089 (91.1) | 15,793 (90.2) | 0.03 |
| Black | 684 (4.1) | 808 (4.6) | |
| Hispanic/Latino | 450 (2.7) | 532 (3.0) | |
| Other | 348 (2.1) | 383 (2.2) | |
| Discharge destination—n (%) | |||
| Home | 14,126 (85.2) | 14,863 (84.9) | <0.01 |
| Acute rehab hospital | 627 (3.8) | 521 (3.00) | |
| Skilled nursing facility | 1,057 (6.4) | 1,209 (6.9) | |
| Other | 762 (4.6) | 923 (5.3) | |
| Severity weighting—n (%) | |||
| 1st Decile (lowest severity) | 1,579 (9.5) | 1,786 (10.2) | <0.01 |
| 2nd Decile | 1,725 (10.4) | 1,815 (10.4) | |
| 3rd Decile | 1,757 (10.6) | 1,781 (10.2) | |
| 4th Decile | 1,691 (10.2) | 1,721 (9.8) | |
| 5th Decile | 1,630 (9.8) | 1,714 (9.8) | |
| 6th Decile | 1,660 (10.0) | 1,743 (10.0) | |
| 7th Decile | 1,763 (10.6) | 1,794 (10.2) | |
| 8th Decile | 1,674 (10.1) | 1,642 (9.4) | |
| 9th Decile | 1,507 (9.1) | 1,786 (10.2) | |
| 10th Decile (highest severity) | 1,580 (9.5) | 1,730 (9.9) | |
| COPD—n (%) | 124 (0.8) | 154 (0.9) | 0.18 |
| CHF—n (%) | 371 (2.2) | 360 (2.1) | 0.24 |
| Pneumonia—n (%) | 368 (2.2) | 396 (2.3) | 0.80 |
| ESRD—n (%) | 173 (1.0) | 216 (1.2) | 0.10 |