Table 2.
Demographic Comparison of Study Groups.
| All subjects (n = 711) | THM (n = 268) | SPP (n = 443) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-cause 30-day ED return | 100 (15%) | 53 (20%) | 56 (13%) | .01 |
| Age | 41 ± 15 | 40 ± 14 | 42 ± 16 | NS |
| Male gender | 334 (47%) | 132 (49%) | 202 (46%) | NS |
| Has a PCP | 281 (40%) | 99 (37%) | 182 (41%) | NS |
| English | 615 (87%) | 241 (90%) | 374 (84%) | NS |
| Single | 493 (69%) | 199 (74%) | 294 (66%) | NS |
| Ethnicity | NS | |||
| Caucasian | 171 (24%) | 64 (24%) | 107 (24%) | |
| Hispanic | 361 (51%) | 130 (49%) | 231 (52%) | |
| Native American | 66 (9%) | 29 (11%) | 37 (8%) | |
| African American | 28 (4%) | 11 (4%) | 17 (4%) | |
| Insurance | .02 | |||
| Self-pay | 261 (37%) | 115 (43%) | 146 (33%) | |
| Public | 208 (29%) | 67 (25%) | 141 (32%) | |
| Private | 105 (15%) | 31 (12%) | 74 (17%) | |
| Institutional | 137 (19%) | 55 (21%) | 82 (19%) | |
| Reason for initial visit | <.01 | |||
| Pain | 198 (28%) | 45 (17%) | 153 (35%) | |
| Respiratory illness | 101 (14%) | 52 (19%) | 49 (11%) | |
| Skin/wound care | 122 (17%) | 65 (24%) | 57 (13%) | |
| UTI | 102 (14%) | 32 (12%) | 70 (16%) | |
| Other | 188 (26%) | 74 (28%) | 114 (26%) | |
| Medicationa | ||||
| Antibiotics | 392 (55%) | 176 (66%) | 216 (49%) | <.01 |
| Ibuprofen | 191 (27%) | 39 (15%) | 152 (34%) | <.01 |
| Methocarbamol | 45 (6%) | 25 (9%) | 20 (5%) | .01 |
| Albuterol | 49 (7%) | 33 (12%) | 16 (4%) | <.01 |
| Prednisone | 51 (7%) | 19 (7%) | 32 (7%) | NS |
| Phenergan | 50 (7%) | 13 (5%) | 37 (8%) | NS |
| Other | 29 (4%) | 11 (4%) | 18 (4%) | NS |
Note. THM = Take Home Medication; SPP = standard paper prescription; ED = emergency department; NS = nonsignificant; PCP = primary care provider; UTI = urinary tract infection.
a
Because of overlap in medication use, each medication was its own variable.