Table 1.
Demographic characteristics among U.S. Veterans by source of care
| Baseline Patient Characteristics | VA Only (n = 33,323) | Medicare Only (n = 161,474) | Dual Care (n = 30,378) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yr, mean (SD) | 73.4 (9.9) | 78.1 (9.4) | 74.0 (9.9) |
| Male sex | 32,302 (96.9) | 157,560 (97.6) | 29,330 (96.6) |
| Race | |||
| White | 25,189 (75.6) | 136,432 (84.4) | 23,817 (78.4) |
| Black | 5,157 (15.5) | 12,442 (7.7) | 4,351 (14.3) |
| Hispanic | 1,268 (3.8) | 2,174 (1.3) | 624 (2.1) |
| Geographic location | |||
| North Atlantic | 8,625 (25.9) | 44,388 (27.5) | 7,763 (25.6) |
| Southeast | 6,189 (18.6) | 28,993 (18.0) | 5,437 (17.9) |
| Midwest | 7,695 (23.1) | 42,461 (26.3) | 7,788 (25.6) |
| Continental | 4,902 (14.7) | 21,932 (13.6) | 4,284 (14.1) |
| Pacific | 5,912 (17.7) | 18,733 (11.6) | 5,106 (16.8) |
| Comorbidities, mean (SD) | 9.8 (5.2) | 10.9 (5.6) | 10.2 (5.4) |
| Comorbid conditions | |||
| Neurological disorder | 1,401 (4.2) | 13,870 (8.6) | 1,191 (3.9) |
| Mental health disorder | 1,473 (4.4) | 4,209 (2.6) | 1,180 (3.9) |
| Substance abuse | 14,581 (43.8) | 13,833 (8.6) | 9,141 (30.1) |
| Malignancy | 6,214 (18.6) | 35,485 (22.0) | 5,264 (17.3) |
| HIV or HCV infection | 2,057 (6.2) | 11,813 (7.3) | 1,947 (6.4) |
| Chronic liver disease | 1,845 (5.5) | 5,426 (3.4) | 1,434 (4.7) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18,717 (56.2) | 82,715 (51.2) | 16,456 (54.2) |
| COPD | 14,539 (43.6) | 73,190 (45.3) | 14,391 (47.4) |
| Heart failure | 13,603 (40.8) | 81,916 (50.7) | 13,943 (45.9) |
| Obstructive sleep apnea | 3,816 (11.5) | 20,294 (12.6) | 3,704 (12.2) |
| Disease severity | |||
| Acute right heart failure* | 11,396 (34.2) | 47,720 (29.6) | 10,335 (34.0) |
| Acute respiratory failure* | 5,064 (15.2) | 21,074 (13.1) | 4,983 (16.4) |
| Healthcare utilization,† mean (SD) | |||
| Inpatient hospitalizations | 2.0 (3.5) | 2.1 (3.3) | 2.2 (3.7) |
| ED visits | 1.5 (1.1) | 1.2 (1.1) | 1.4 (1.2) |
| Outpatient visits | 45.4 (45.8) | 44.1 (36.5) | 44.9 (42.8) |
Definition of abbreviations: COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ED = emergency department; HCV = hepatitis C virus; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; SD = standard deviation; VA = Veterans Health Administration.
Data presented as n (%) unless otherwise noted.
*
Within 90 days before diagnosis.
†
In the year before diagnosis.