Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries receiving in-center hemodialysis
| Patient and Facility Characteristics | n=135,545 |
|---|---|
| Patient characteristics | |
| Age, yrs | |
| 18–44 | 13,567 (10) |
| 45–64 | 41,782 (31) |
| 65–74 | 37,402 (28) |
| 75–84 | 33,854 (25) |
| ≥85 | 8940 (7) |
| Men | 73,466 (54) |
| Race | |
| White | 88,115 (65) |
| Black | 41,346 (31) |
| Asian | 3436 (3) |
| Native American | 1505 (1) |
| Pacific Islander | 765 (1) |
| Multiracial, other, unknown | 378 (0.3) |
| Hispanic | 16,011 (12) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | |
| <20 | 11,061 (8) |
| 20 to <25 | 37,735 (28) |
| 25 to <30 | 38,419 (28) |
| 30 to <35 | 23,265 (17) |
| ≥35 | 23,352 (17) |
| Missing | 1713 (1) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 80,818 (60) |
| Atherosclerotic heart disease | 32,055 (24) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 14,847 (11) |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 21,435 (16) |
| Congestive heart failure | 49,910 (37) |
| History of amputation | 4580 (3) |
| Hypertension | 119,756 (88) |
| Cancer | 10,062 (7) |
| COPD | 13,606 (10) |
| Inability to ambulate or transfer | 9827 (7) |
| Etiology of renal disease | |
| Diabetes | 64,106 (47) |
| Hypertension | 42,079 (31) |
| GN | 7350 (5) |
| Cystic kidney | 1927 (1) |
| Other or unknown | 20,083 (15) |
| Access type | |
| AV fistula | 18,710 (14) |
| AV graft | 6349 (5) |
| Catheter | 108,262 (80) |
| Other | 1659 (1) |
| Missing | 565 (0.4) |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 10.0±1.7 |
| eGFR, ml/min per 1.73 m2 | 11.1±5.7 |
| Albumin, g/dl | |
| <2.5 | 18,508 (14) |
| 2.5–2.9 | 22,572 (17) |
| 3.0–3.4 | 28,706 (21) |
| 3.5–3.9 | 23,188 (17) |
| ≥4 | 10,949 (8) |
| Missing | 31,622 (23) |
| Tobacco use, current smoker | 8841 (7) |
| Alcohol dependence | 1939 (1) |
| Drug dependence | 1772 (1) |
| Institutionalization | |
| Assisted living | 1000 (1) |
| Nursing home | 9321 (7) |
| Other | 581 (0.4) |
| Prior nephrologist care, mo | |
| None | 41,366 (31) |
| <6 | 14,088 (10) |
| 6–12 | 32,560 (24) |
| >12 | 31,388 (23) |
| Unknown | 16,143 (12) |
| Geographic characteristics | |
| RUCA | |
| Isolated small rural | 5796 (4) |
| Small rural | 8825 (7) |
| Large rural | 15,698 (12) |
| Urban | 105,226 (78) |
| ESRD network (patient) | |
| 1 | 4815 (4) |
| 2 | 5703 (4) |
| 3 | 3671 (3) |
| 4 | 5733 (4) |
| 5 | 8181 (6) |
| 6 | 14,687 (11) |
| 7 | 9034 (7) |
| 8 | 9084 (7) |
| 9 | 11,577 (9) |
| 10 | 5383 (4) |
| 11 | 8321 (6) |
| 12 | 5537 (4) |
| 13 | 7102 (5) |
| 14 | 14,060 (10) |
| 15 | 5482 (4) |
| 16 | 3580 (3) |
| 17 | 4973 (4) |
| 18 | 8622 (6) |
| Socioeconomic status | |
| Adults ≥25 yrs old with high school education or higher, % | |
| <50 | 1782 (1) |
| 50–75 | 27,058 (20) |
| >75 | 106,705 (79) |
| Below poverty in past 12 mo, % | |
| <5 | 9397 (7) |
| 5–9.9 | 25,303 (19) |
| 10–14.9 | 27,746 (20) |
| 15–19.9 | 25,215 (19) |
| 20–24.9 | 18,623 (14) |
| ≥25 | 29,261 (22) |
| Facility characteristics | |
| Volume, no. of facility patients | |
| ≤41 | 18,409 (14) |
| 42–63 | 28,549 (21) |
| 64–91 | 37,254 (27) |
| ≥92 | 51,333 (38) |
| Volume of home program | |
| 0/None | 74,735 (55) |
| 1–10 | 27,796 (21) |
| 11–25 | 20,135 (15) |
| ≥26 | 12,879 (10) |
| Total staffing, nurses, and PCTs | 13 [9, 18] |
| Staffing composition, % nursesa | 41 [33, 50] |
| For profit | 123,697 (91) |
Data are presented as n (%), mean±SD, or median [25th, 75th percentiles]. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AV, arteriovenous; RUCA, rural-urban commuting area; PCT, patient care technician.
a
(Nurses/[nurses + PCTs]) × 100.