Table 1.

Patient demographics before and after propensity score (PS) matching

Variables		Before PS matching							After PS matching (10:1)
		Total		General patients		Nurse		P-value	Total		General patients		Nurse		P-value
		N	%	N	%	N	%		N	%	N	%	N	%
Total patients		518,058	100.00	516,100	99.62	1958	0.38		18,601	100.00	16,910	90.91	1691	9.09
Age								<0.001							0.928
	< 25	3092	0.60	2913	0.56	179	9.14		1194	6.42	1083	6.40	111	6.56
	25–34	15,361	2.97	14,951	2.90	410	20.94		3214	17.28	2933	17.34	281	16.62
	35–44	53,986	10.42	53,436	10.35	550	28.09		5568	29.93	5069	29.98	499	29.51
	45–54	127,935	24.70	127,351	24.68	584	29.83		6059	32.57	5494	32.49	565	33.41
	55–64	136,540	26.36	136,363	26.42	177	9.04		1894	10.18	1717	10.15	177	10.47
	≧65	181,144	34.97	181,086	35.09	58	2.96		672	3.61	614	3.63	58	3.43
Average age (Mean, Std)		59.22	13.15	59.29	13.11	42.01	12.03		44.14	11.86	44.19	11.87	43.60	11.78
Monthly salary (NT$)								<0.001							0.659
	Low-income household	5010	0.97	5009	0.97	1	0.05		3	0.02	2	0.01	1	0.06
	≦17,280	35,033	6.77	34,873	6.77	160	8.17		1826	9.82	1670	9.88	156	9.23
	17,281 ~ 22,800	295,781	57.20	295,390	57.34	391	19.97		4312	23.18	3922	23.19	390	23.06
	22,801 ~ 28,800	77,247	14.94	77,044	14.96	203	10.37		2011	10.81	1819	10.76	192	11.35
	28,801 ~ 36,300	30,974	5.99	30,745	5.97	229	11.70		2015	10.83	1829	10.82	186	11.00
	36,301 ~ 45,800	33,977	6.57	33,470	6.50	507	25.89		4128	22.19	3739	22.11	389	23.00
	45,801 ~ 57,800	19,896	3.85	19,584	3.80	312	15.93		2540	13.66	2311	13.67	229	13.54
	≧57,801	19,206	3.71	19,051	3.70	155	7.92		1766	9.49	1618	9.57	148	8.75
	Missing data	934		934
Urbanization of residence area								<0.001							0.181
	Level 1	141,455	27.35	140,779	27.33	676	34.53		6593	35.44	5998	35.47	595	35.19
	Level 2 & 3	231,299	44.73	230,365	44.72	934	47.70		9149	49.19	8334	49.28	815	48.20
	Level 4 & 5	94,836	18.34	94,589	18.36	247	12.61		2145	11.53	1944	11.50	201	11.89
	Level 6 & 7	49,533	9.58	49,432	9.60	101	5.16		714	3.84	634	3.75	80	4.73
	Missing data	935		935
Catastrophic illnesses								0.318							0.158
	No	503,285	97.15	501,375	97.15	1910	97.55		18,200	97.84	16,554	97.89	1646	97.34
	Yes	14,773	2.85	14,725	2.85	48	2.45		401	2.16	356	2.11	45	2.66
Moderate to severe kidney disease								0.218							0.085
	No	440,556	85.04	438,871	85.04	1685	86.06		16,425	88.30	14,954	88.43	1471	86.99
	Yes	77,502	14.96	77,229	14.96	273	13.94		2176	11.70	1956	11.57	220	13.01
CCI								<0.001							0.247
	0	8776	1.69	8751	1.70	25	1.28		233	1.25	212	1.25	21	1.24
	1 ~ 3	129,044	24.91	128,410	24.88	634	32.38		6438	34.61	5881	34.78	557	32.94
	4 ~ 6	148,079	28.58	147,421	28.56	658	33.61		6130	32.96	5581	33.00	549	32.47
	7 ~ 9	125,612	24.25	125,197	24.26	415	21.20		3858	20.74	3493	20.66	365	21.58
	≧10	106,547	20.57	106,321	20.60	226	11.54		1942	10.44	1743	10.31	199	11.77
Average CCI (Mean, Std)		6.33	3.78	6.33	3.78	5.41	3.39		5.18	3.29	5.15	3.28	5.43	3.42
DCSI								<0.001							0.438
	0	359,786	69.45	358,301	69.42	1485	75.84		14,358	77.19	13,075	77.32	1283	75.87
	1	79,434	15.33	79,144	15.34	290	14.81		2737	14.71	2480	14.67	257	15.20
	2	52,368	10.11	52,232	10.12	136	6.95		1118	6.01	1009	5.97	109	6.45
	≧3	26,470	5.11	26,423	5.12	47	2.40		388	2.09	346	2.05	42	2.48
Average DCSI (Mean, Std)		0.54	0.98	0.54	0.98	0.37	0.76		0.34	0.73	0.34	0.73	0.36	0.75

Abbreviations: CCI Charlson Comorbidity Index, DCSI Diabetes Complications Severity Index, PS propensity score

It’s 30 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) per US dollar

Urbanization level of residence area (overall 7 levels; Level 1 was the most urbanized)

The p values less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant