Table 3 Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, N = 423
Characteristics | Control N = 212 | Intervention N = 211 | p-value1 |
|---|---|---|---|
Age | |||
Mean (SD) | 82.6 (5.1) | 82.4 (5.2) | 0.6562 |
Gender | |||
Female, n (%) | 114 (53.8) | 91 (43.1) | 0.028 |
Marital status | |||
N | 208 | 211 | |
Married/cohabitant, n (%) | 116 (55.8) | 97 (46.0) | 0.132 |
Single, n (%) | 11 (5.3) | 12 (5.7) | |
Widow/Widower, n (%) | 77 (37.0) | 92 (43.6) | |
Separated/divorced, n (%) | 4 (1.9) | 10 (4.7) | |
Family network | |||
Yes, n (%) | 209 (98.6) | 209 (99.1) | 1.000 |
Admission ward | |||
Cardiac, n (%) | 114 (53.8) | 122 (57.8) | 0.402 |
Pulmonary, n (%) | 98 (46.2) | 89 (42.2) | |
Transferred between wards during the hospital stay | |||
Yes, n (%) | 59 (27.8) | 57 (27.0) | 0.851 |
Level of health care at admission | |||
No health care services, n (%) | 39 (18.4) | 54 (25.6) | 0.061 |
Other health care services, n (%) | 20 (9.4) | 38 (18.0) | 0.011 |
Weekly home nursing care, n (%) | 14 (6.6) | 14 (6.6) | 1.000 |
Daily home nursing care, n (%) | 47 (22.2) | 61 (28.9) | 0.119 |
Long-term institutional care, n (%) | 4 (1.9) | 3 (1.4) | 0.703 |
Rehabilitation/short term stay, n (%) | 11 (5.2) | 5 (2.4) | 0.126 |
Comorbidities at admission | |||
No diagnosis before admission | 0 | 2 (0.9) | - |
Heart failure, n (%) | 192 (90.6) | 177 (83.9) | 0.030 |
Pulmonary disease, n (%) | 141 (66.5) | 91 (43.1) | < 0.001 |
Cancer, n (%) | 28 (13.2) | 37 (17.5) | 0.225 |
Endocrinologic disease, n (%) | 59 (27.8) | 59 (28.0) | 1.000 |
Skeletal fracture, n (%) | 7 (3.3) | 4 (1.9) | 0.359 |
Infection, n (%) | 87 (41.0) | 23 (10.9) | < 0.001 |
Dementia/cognitive impairment, n (%) | 12 (5.7) | 13 (6.2) | 0.837 |
Mental illness, n (%) | 16 (7.5) | 6 (2.8) | 0.029 |
Other diagnosis, n (%) | 161 (75.9) | 116 (55.0) | < 0.001 |
Symptoms of acute functional impairment 2 weeks before admission, n (%) | 206 (97.2) | 209 (99.1) | 0.312 |
NEWS at admission | |||
Mean (SD) | 3.9 (2.9) | 3.3 (2.7) | 0.021² |
Cognitive function (4AT) at admission, cat | |||
No cognitive impairment (4AT = 0), n (%) | 132 (62.3) | 150 (71.6) | 0.008 |
Suspicion of cognitive impairment (4AT = 1–3), n (%) | 61 (28.8) | 55 (26.5) | |
Cognitive impairment or delirium (4AT ≥ 4), n (%) | 19 (9.0) | 5 (2.4) | |