Table 1. Characteristics of Fee-for-Service Medicare Beneficiaries Without Documented Heart Disease Undergoing Cataract Surgery by Receipt of Preoperative Electrocardiogram.
| Characteristic | Group, No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| EKG (n = 12 408)a | Comparison (n = 97 775) | |
| Age, y | ||
| 66-74 | 6858 (55.3) | 56 374 (57.7) |
| 75-84 | 4653 (37.5) | 35 430 (36.2) |
| ≥85 | 897 (7.2) | 5971 (6.1) |
| Female sex | 8145 (65.6) | 61 649 (63.1) |
| Race | ||
| White | 10 533 (84.9) | 84 555 (86.5) |
| Black | 696 (5.6) | 5553 (5.7) |
| Hispanic | 567 (4.6) | 3876 (4.0) |
| Other | 612 (4.9) | 3791 (3.9) |
| Medicaid enrollment | 720 (5.8) | 5491 (5.6) |
| Elixhauser condition count, mean (SD) | 1.10 (1.35) | 1.06 (1.35) |
| Disabilityb | 728 (5.9) | 6852 (7.0) |
| ESRDb | 43 (0.4) | 339 (0.4) |
| Setting of residence | ||
| Metropolitan | 10 346 (83.4) | 71 493 (73.1) |
| Micropolitan | 1135 (9.2) | 12 890 (13.2) |
| Suburban | 524 (4.2) | 7521 (7.7) |
| Rural | 403 (3.3) | 5871 (6.0) |
| Cardiologists per 10 000 residents in HRR, mean (SD)c | 7.39 (2.05) | 6.46 (1.75) |
Abbreviations: EKG, electrocardiogram; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; HRR, hospital referral region.
a
The EKG and comparison groups had statistically significant characteristic differences at P < .05 with the exception of Medicaid enrollment and ESRD.
b
Disability and ESRD refer to initial reason for Medicare eligibility.
c
Dartmouth Atlas, 2011.38