Table. Characteristics of Veterans Affairs Nursing Home Hospice Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.
| Patient Characteristics | No. (%) | P Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Hospice (n = 20 329) |
Not Treated With Insulin (n = 18 642) |
Treated With Insulin (n = 1687) |
||
| Age, mean (SD), y | 79 (8) | 79 (8) | 77 (8) | <.001 |
| Male sex | 19 991 (98) | 18 331 (98) | 1660 (98) | .80 |
| Diagnosis | ||||
| Hypertension | 7746 (38) | 7046 (38) | 700 (42) | .003 |
| Congestive heart failure | 4056 (20) | 3684 (20) | 372 (22) | .02 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 4796 (24) | 4353 (23) | 443 (26) | .01 |
| Liver disease | 807 (4) | 750 (4) | 57 (3) | .20 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 4777 (24) | 4357 (23) | 420 (25) | .20 |
| Dementia | 2544 (13) | 2368 (13) | 176 (10) | .01 |
| Cancer | 7065 (35) | 6434 (35) | 631 (37) | .02 |
| Use of oral glucose-lowering medication | 2414 (12) | 2064 (11) | 350 (21) | <.001 |
| Baseline glycated hemoglobin, %, mean (SD) | 6.9 (1.3) | 6.8 (1.3) | 7.4 (1.6) | <.001 |
| No glycated hemoglobin test availablea | 4058 (20) | 3856 (21) | 202 (12) | <.001 |
| <7.0 | 9364 (50) | 9364 (50) | 656 (39) | |
| 7.0-7.9 | 3192 (17) | 3192 (17) | 410 (24) | |
| 8.0-8.9 | 1281 (7) | 1281 (7) | 218 (13) | |
| ≥9.0 | 949 (5) | 949 (5) | 201 (12) | |
| Death within 100 d of admission | 16 791 (83) | 16 791 (85) | 1025 (61) | <.001 |
| Length of stay, median (IQR), d | 10 (4-32) | 10 (3-30) | 25 (8-75) | <.001 |
| No glucose laboratory test during admission | 7733 (38) | 7548 (41) | 185 (11) | <.001 |
| Glucose testing, mean (SD), tests/db | 0.7 (1.2) | 0.6 (1.1) | 1.7 (1.6) | <.001 |
Abbreviation: IQR, interquartile range.
a
Glycated hemoglobin measurements were included from 12 mo before to 3 mo after hospice admission date.
b
Glucose testing includes both point-of-care (fingerstick) and glucose laboratory testing.