Table 1.
Patient Demographics and Descriptive Information
| |
Phase I POLST form review |
Phase II follow-up and interview |
|---|---|---|
| Variable | n=151 | n=39 |
| Mean age in years (std) |
78.8 (11.6) |
78.8 (11.0) |
| % female |
66.9% (101) |
61.5% (24) |
| Nursing home admission status | ||
| New Admission |
72.2% (109) |
79.5% (39) |
| Readmission |
24.5% (37) |
17.9% (7) |
| Length of hospital stay (mean days, std) |
- |
6.2 (5.9) |
| |
|
% (n) |
| Caucasian race |
- |
100% (39) |
| Hospital discharge unit | ||
| General/internal medicine |
- |
61.5% (24) |
| Surgical |
- |
25.6% (10) |
| Other |
- |
10.3% (4) |
| Unknown |
- |
2.6% (1) |
| Goal of discharge to facility | ||
| Rehabilitation |
- |
92.3% (36) |
| Long-term care |
- |
7.7% (3) |
| POLST form statusa | ||
| POLST on admission to hospital |
- |
15.4% (6) |
| Valid POLST at discharge from hospital |
95.4% (144) |
82.1% (32) |
| Valid POLST in nursing facility |
- |
89.7% (35) |
| Final known disposition | ||
| Discharged home |
- |
43.6% (17) |
| Discharged to assisted living |
- |
25.6% (10) |
| Remained in nursing facility |
- |
17.9% (7) |
| Deceased |
- |
10.3% (4) |
| Returned to hospital | - | 2.6% (1) |
a
Valid POLST forms contained a physician signature, a date, and orders about resuscitation code status in Section A of the form.