Factors Associated With Hospital Utilization in the Elderly: From the Cardiovascular Health Study.
OBJECTIVE: Analyze clinical, accepted biochemical, physiologic, and socioeconomic risk factors and correlate them with hospital utilization in an elderly population. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study in a defined, randomly recruited population. PARTICIPANTS: 5201 Medicare participants enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). METHODS: Medicare recipients were randomly assigned to participate in an observational study. Baseline data were compared to hospital admissions and days of hospitalization over four years. DATA ANALYSIS: Data were grouped by type of risk factor and analyzed by Tobit analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: Baseline variables associated with hospital use (p is less than 0.0001) were history of CHF, stroke, angina, hypertension, ln (timed walk), ln (blocks walked/week), age, gender, and clinic site. Factors not entering the model (p is greater than 0.05) were income, education, smoking, diabetes, weight, dietary fat, marital status, depression, and measures of mental function. CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, existing health status is the major determinant of hospitalization and overwhelms many classic "risk factors" for morbidity.
Robbins
J. A.
JA
Department of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA.
Yanez
D.
D
Powe
N. R.
NR
Savage
P. J.
PJ
Ives
D. G.
DG
Gardin
J. M.
JM
Lyles
M.
M