Table 1.
Patient Characteristics
| Interviewed | Not interviewed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home (n = 19) | Control (n = 17) | All (n = 36) | All (n = 45) | |
| Age, years, median (IQR) | 77 (24) | 75 (21) | 76 (23) | 67 (29) |
| Female, n (%) | 10 (53) | 10 (59) | 20 (56) | 29 (64) |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | ||||
| White | 9 (47) | 11 (65) | 20 (56) | 29 (64) |
| Black | 6 (32) | 3 (18) | 9 (25) | 9 (20) |
| Latino | 2 (11) | 2 (12) | 4 (11) | 6 (13) |
| Asian | 2 (11) | 1 (5.9) | 3 (8.3) | 0 (0) |
| Other | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.2) |
| Partner status, n (%) | ||||
| Partnered | 9 (47) | 7 (41) | 16 (44) | 18 (41) |
| Divorced | 5 (26) | 1 (5.9) | 6 (17) | 5 (11) |
| Widowed | 1 (5.2) | 3 (18) | 4 (11) | 7 (16) |
| Single, never partnered | 4 (21) | 5 (29) | 9 (25) | 13 (29) |
| Other | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (4.4) |
| Primary language, n (%) | ||||
| English | 17 (89) | 16 (94) | 33 (92) | 42 (93) |
| Spanish | 2 (11) | 1 (6) | 3 (8) | 3 (7) |
| Insurance, n (%) | ||||
| Private | 9 (47) | 7 (41) | 16 (44) | 17 (38) |
| Medicare | 6 (32) | 9 (53) | 15 (42) | 18 (40) |
| Medicaid | 1 (5) | 0 (0) | 1 (3) | 5 (11) |
| Medicare + Medicaid | 0 (0) | 2 (12) | 2 (5) | 6 (13) |
| None | 4 (21) | 0 (0) | 4 (11) | 0 (0) |
| Education, n (%) | ||||
| < High school | 4 (21) | 3 (18) | 7 (19) | 8 (18) |
| High school | 2 (11) | 7 (42) | 9 (25) | 16 (35) |
| < 4-year college | 6 (32) | 0 (0) | 6 (17) | 8 (18) |
| 4-year college | 2 (11) | 3 (18) | 5 (14) | 8 (18) |
| > 4-year college | 5 (26) | 4 (24) | 9 (25) | 4 (9) |
| Employment, n (%) | ||||
| Employed | 8 (42) | 5 (29) | 13 (36) | 12 (27) |
| Unemployed | 1 (5.2) | 3 (18) | 4 (11) | 6 (13) |
| Retired | 10 (53) | 9 (53) | 19 (53) | 26 (58) |
| Cigarette smoking, n (%) | ||||
| Never | 10 (53) | 11 (65) | 21(58) | 19 (42) |
| Current | 2 (11) | 2 (12) | 4 (11) | 6 (13) |
| Prior | 8 (42) | 4 (21) | 12 (33) | 20 (44) |
| PRISMA (0–7), median (IQR) | 4 (3) | 3.5 (2.3) | 3.5 (3) | 3 (3.3) |
| Ascertain dementia-8 (0–8), median (IQR) | 0 (3) | 2 (2.5) | 1 (3) | 0.5 (3) |
| Health literacy (4–20), median (IQR)a | 16.5 (12) | 17 (8) | 18.5 (8) | 15 (7) |
| Comorbidity count, median (IQR)b | 7 (10) | 7.5 (5) | 7 (7.5) | 7 (8) |
| Code status: full code, n (%) | 14 (74) | 15 (88) | 29 (81) | 35 (78) |
| Yes, surprised if died in 1 year, n (%) | 11 (58) | 12 (71) | 23 (64) | 32 (71) |
| EuroQol VAS (0–100), mean (95% CI) | 64 (55,74) | 59 (48,71) | 62 (54,69) | 62 (57,68) |
| ADLs on admission (0–6), median (IQR) | 6 (5) | 6 (5) | 6 (5) | 4 (5) |
| IADLs on admission (0–8), median (IQR) | 4 (6.5) | 5 (7) | 4.5 (7) | 4.5 (7) |
| PHQ-2 (0–6), median (IQR) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PROMIS emotional support (4–20), median (IQR) | 20 (12) | 20 (8) | 20 (8) | 18 (7) |
| Hospital admission in last 6 months, n (%) | 5 (26) | 8 (47) | 13 (36) | 30 (67) |
| Emergency department visit in last 6 months, n (%) | 13 (68) | 12 (71) | 25 (69) | 27 (60) |
| Number outpatient medications, mean (95% CI) | 10.47 (4.35) | 11.23 (3.77) | 10.83 (2.72) | 11.33 (3.01) |
| Diagnosis, n (%)c | ||||
| Infection | ||||
| Pneumonia | 3 (16) | 5 (29) | 8 (22) | 20 (35) |
| Skin/soft tissue infection | 5 (26) | 1 (6) | 6 (17) | 7 (16) |
| Complicated UTI/pyelonephritis | 1 (5) | 2 (12) | 3 (8) | 4 (9) |
| Diverticulitis | 0 (0) | 4 (24) | 4 (11) | 8 (18) |
| Heart failure | 4 (21) | 2 (12) | 6 (17) | 14 (31) |
| Airway disease | ||||
| Asthma | 1 (5) | 0 (0) | 1 (3) | 3 (7) |
| COPD | 4 (21) | 0 (0) | 4 (11) | 7 (16) |
| Other | 1 (5) | 3 (18) | 4 (11) | 16 (36) |
aBrief health literacy screener, 4–12: limited; 13–16: marginal; 17–20: adequate23
bCount of patient’s chronic comorbidities
cDiagnoses were block randomized at the level of infection, heart failure, airway disease, and others. Diagnoses made by the home or control physician. Other diagnoses included complications of diabetes, anticoagulation needs, gout exacerbation, and others
No statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) existed between those who were and were not interviewed nor between interviewed home and control patients
Abbreviations: ADLs, activities of daily living; CI, confidence interval; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; IADLs, instrumental activities of daily living; IQR, interquartile range; PHQ-2, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (measure of depression); PRISMA, Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy (measure of frailty); PROMIS, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System; UTI, urinary tract infection; VAS, Visual Analog Scale