Table 2.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of nursing home residents seen via videoconferencing. The demographic and clinical characteristics of nursing home residents seen via teleconsultation were collected from teleconsultation forms. Most cases referred for teleconsultation were residents with behavioural problems
| n (%) | |
|---|---|
| Age (± SD) | 76.2 (± 13.2) |
| Length of stay in nursing home (no. of years) | 4.8 (IQR 0.4–4.8) |
| Gender | |
| Female | 537 (60.1) |
| Male | 346 (39.1) |
| Race | |
| Chinese | 727 (82.3) |
| Indian | 85 (4.3) |
| Malay | 38 (9.6) |
| Others | 33 (3.7) |
| Resident Assessment Form (RAF) | |
| Cat 1 | 2 (0.2) |
| Cat 2 | 39 (4.4) |
| Cat 3 | 423 (47.9) |
| Cat 4 | 419 (47.5) |
| Has next-of-kin | 710 (80.4) |
| Common comorbidities | |
| Hypertension | 560 (63.4) |
| Dementia | 330 (37.3) |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 384 (43.5) |
| Hyperlipidaemia | 364 (41.2) |
| Previous stroke | 171 (19.4) |
| Depression | 162 (18.4) |
| Osteoarthritis | 130 (14.7) |
| Ischaemic Heart Disease | 107 (12.1) |
| Osteoporosis | 62 (7.0) |
| Previous fracture | 54 (6.1) |
| Admission within last 6 months | 279 (31.6) |
| Polypharmacy (≥ 9 medications) | 379 (43.0) |
| Main presenting complaint | |
| Behavioural | 290 (32.8) |
| Medication review | 151 (17.1) |
| Pain | 61 (6.9) |
| Skin rash/lesion | 55 (6.2) |
| Fever | 38 (4.3) |
| Investigation review | 32 (3.6) |
| Shortness of breath | 27 (3.1) |
| Poor appetite | 26 (2.9) |
| Swelling | 20 (2.3) |
| Change in mental status | 15 (1.7) |
| Others | 168 (19.0) |
| Primary diagnosis | |
| Dementia | 211 (23.9) |
| Infection | 82 (9.3) |
| Cancer | 52 (5.9) |
| Depression | 51 (5.8) |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 36 (4.1) |
| Psychological disorder | 36 (4.1) |
| Pneumonia | 35 (4.0) |
| Cellulitis | 30 (3.4) |
| Neurological disorder | 27 (3.1) |
| Urinary tract infection | 22 (2.5) |
| Others | 331 (37.5) |
| Resident outcome at 1 month post consult | |
| Remained in nursing home | 737 (83.5) |
| Sent to emergency department | 49 (5.5) |
| Died in nursing home | 49 (5.5) |
| Visited a specialist outpatient clinic | 48 (5.4) |