TABLE 1.
The Effect of Patient Characteristics on the Risk of Hospitalization During an ED Visit Within 30 Days of Hospital Discharge
| Patient Characteristic | No. of ED Visits (%) | % Readmitted | Odds Ratio (95% CI)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 174,209 (100) | 52.67 | |
| Age, y | |||
| 66–70 | 32,962 (18.92) | 49.31 | 1.00 |
| 71–75 | 34,979 (20.08) | 51.48 | 1.10 (1.06–1.13)† |
| 76–80 | 36,728 (21.08) | 53.01 | 1.15 (1.12–1.19)† |
| 81–85 | 34,784 (19.97) | 54.05 | 1.19 (1.15–1.23)† |
| >85 | 34,756 (19.95) | 55.33 | 1.25 (1.21–1.29)† |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 71,049 (40.78) | 52.95 | 1.02 (1.00–1.04) |
| Female | 103,160 (59.22) | 52.48 | 1.00 |
| Race | |||
| Non-Hispanic white | 124,312 (71.36) | 52.77 | 1.00 |
| Black | 16,809 (9.65) | 51.45 | 0.84 (0.81–0.87)† |
| Hispanic | 30,618 (17.58) | 52.70 | 0.88 (0.85–0.91)† |
| Other | 2,470 (1.42) | 55.71 | 1.06 (0.97–1.15) |
| Rural/urban residence | |||
| Metropolitan | 136,739 (78.49) | 53.88 | 1.00 |
| Nonmetropolitan | 35,000 (20.09) | 48.16 | 0.96 (0.93–0.99)† |
| Rural | 2,448 (1.41) | 50.04 | 1.04 (0.95–1.13) |
| Medicaid eligible | |||
| No | 128,909 (74.00) | 52.65 | 1.00 |
| Yes | 45,300 (26.00) | 52.72 | 0.97 (0.94–0.99)† |
| Education level‡ | |||
| 1st quartile (lowest) | 43,863 (25.18) | 54.61 | 1.00 |
| 2nd quartile | 43,316 (24.86) | 53.92 | 1.00 (0.97–1.03) |
| 3rd quartile | 43,571 (25.01) | 50.72 | 0.99 (0.96–1.02) |
| 4th quartile (highest) | 43,318 (24.87) | 51.98 | 1.01 (0.97–1.04) |
| Emergency admission | |||
| No | 99,101 (56.89) | 51.15 | 1.00 |
| Yes | 75,108 (43.11) | 54.68 | 1.07 (1.05–1.09)† |
| Weekend admission | |||
| No | 131,266 (75.35) | 52.45 | 1.00 |
| Yes | 42,943 (24.65) | 53.35 | 1.01 (0.99–1.04) |
| Discharge destination | |||
| Home | 122,542 (70.34) | 50.90 | 1.00 |
| Inpatient rehabilitation facility | 9,512 (5.46) | 55.48 | 1.31 (1.25–1.37)† |
| Skilled nursing facility | 37,248 (21.38) | 57.25 | 1.29 (1.26–1.33)† |
| Other | 4,907 (2.82) | 56.88 | 1.14 (1.07–1.21)† |
|
| |||
| Mean ± SD, Median (Q1–Q3) | Odds Ratio (95% CI)* | ||
|
| |||
| DRG weight (per unit) | 1.566± 1.27, 0.82 (1.16–1.83) | 1.06 (1.05–1.07)† | |
| Hospitalization in the prior year (per hospitalization) | 1.036± 1.49, 0.00 (1.00–2.00) | 1.04 (1.03–1.04)† | |
| Physician visits in the prior year (per 10 visits) | 11.756± 9.80, 5.00 (10.00–17.00) | 0.97 (0.96–0.98)† | |
NOTE: There were 141 patients with unknown education level and 22 with unknown place (rural/urban) of residence. These were included as a separate category in the analyses but are not shown. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; DGR, diagnosis-related group; ED, emergency department; SD, standard deviation.
*
Estimated from 2-level models adjusted for other patient characteristics.
†
Statistically significant results.
‡
Percent of persons age 251 years with high school education or higher at the zip code of residence.