Table 1.
Characteristics of patients on admission to the TCP according to polypharmacy status
| All n=347 | Non-polypharmacy <5 drugs n=49 (14.1%) | Polypharmacy 5–9 drugs n=162 (46.7%) | Hyperpolypharmacy ≥10 drugs n=136 (39.2%) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||||
| Age, mean ± SD | 78.9±8.8 | 78.7±9.6 | 78.5±8.6 | 79.4±8.7 | 0.696 |
| Female | 228 (65.7) | 30 (61.2) | 104 (64.2) | 94 (69.1) | 0.521 |
| Medications | |||||
| Regular, mean ± SD | 8.5±3.6 | 2.8±1.2 | 7.2±1.3 | 12.2±2.0 | <0.001 |
| PRN, mean ± SD | 0.8±1.1 | 0.9±1.1 | 0.7±0.9 | 0.9±1.2 | 0.341 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| No of comorbidities, mean ± SD | 6.0±3.0 | 3.9±2.5 | 5.8±2.7 | 7.0±3.1 | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 89 (26.3) | 6 (12.8) | 39 (25.2) | 44 (32.4) | 0.029 |
| Coronary heart disease | 116 (34.1) | 7 (14.9) | 57 (35.8) | 52 (38.8) | 0.010 |
| COPD | 44 (13.1) | 2 (4.3) | 15 (9.7) | 27 (20.1) | 0.006 |
| Depression | 72 (21.4) | 3 (6.4) | 38 (24.5) | 31 (23.0) | 0.015 |
| Symptoms | |||||
| Pain – moderate/severe | 179 (52.0) | 24 (50.0) | 69 (43.1) | 86 (63.2) | 0.002 |
| Dizziness | 84 (24.5) | 8 (16.7) | 30 (18.9) | 46 (33.8) | 0.005 |
| Dyspnea | 132 (38.3) | 9 (18.8) | 62 (38.5) | 61 (44.9) | 0.006 |
| Fatigue – moderate/severe | 148 (42.9) | 19 (40.4) | 65 (40.1) | 64 (47.1) | 0.452 |
| Constipation | 65 (18.8) | 7 (14.6) | 28 (17.4) | 30 (22.1) | 0.425 |
| Geriatric syndromes and frailty status | |||||
| Falls in previous 90 days | 201 (58.6) | 25 (52.1) | 97 (61.0) | 79 (58.1) | 0.539 |
| Cognition impaireda | 102 (29.8) | 14 (29.2) | 54 (34.2) | 34 (25.0) | 0.228 |
| ADL scale,b median (IQR) | 3 (1–6) | 3 (0–7.5) | 3 (1–6) | 4 (1–6) | 0.588 |
| IADL scale,c median (IQR) | 25 (19–31) | 25.5 (19.25–29.75) | 25 (18.5–32) | 26 (19–31) | 0.813 |
| Daily bladder incontinence | 46 (13.3) | 7 (14.3) | 20 (12.3) | 19 (14.0) | 0.895 |
| Frailty index, mean ± SD | 0.30±0.12 | 0.25±0.10 | 0.30±0.11 | 0.33±0.11 | <0.001 |
Notes: Unless otherwise stated, columns represent n (%).
Based on the CPS, which ranges from 0 (intact cognition) to 6 (very severe cognitive impairment);21 cognitively impaired patients were defined as CPS scores ≥2, corresponding to a mean Mini Mental State Examination score of <24.21
Based on ADL scale (long form), which assesses independence in seven ADL items (personal hygiene, dressing upper body and lower body, locomotion, toilet use, bed mobility, and eating). The scale has a range from 0 to 28, with higher scores indicating greater dependence.17
The IADL scale summarizes the performance on seven IADL items (meal preparation, housework, finances, medication management, phone use, shopping, and transport). The scale has a range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater dependence.17
Abbreviations: ADL, activities of daily living; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CPS, cognitive performance scale; IADL, instrumental ADL; IQR, interquartile range; PRN, pro re nata; SD, standard deviation; TCP, Transition Care Program.