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Table 1 Comparison of the baseline sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics and use of healthcare resources in the intervention and control groups

From: Impact of telemonitoring home care patients with heart failure or chronic lung disease from primary care on healthcare resource use (the TELBIL study randomised controlled trial)

 

IG

CG

p-value I

 

(n = 28)

(n = 30)

 

Sociodemographic variables

Sex, n (%)

  

0.198

Men

14 (50%)

20 (66.7%)

 

Women

14 (50%)

10 (33.3%)

 

Age (years), mean (SD)

80.7 (9)

81.3 (6)

0.653

Living with:, n (%)

  

0.553

alone

4 (14.3%)

2 (6.7%)

 

spouse/partner

11 (39.3%)

15 (50%)

 

Others (other relatives, formal career, etc.)

13 (46.4%)

13 (43.3%)

 

Caregiver, n (%)

  

0.149

Spouse/partner

10 (35.7%)

16 (53.3%)

 

Daughter

9 (32.1%)

8 (26.7%)

 

Other relative

4 (14.3%)

0 (0%)

 

Other

5 (17.9%)

6 (20%)

 

Lack of social support II, n (%)

8 (28.6%)

2 (6.7%)

0.038

Clinical and functional variables

Disease-related reason for inclusion, n (%)

  

0.596

Heart failure

6 (21.2%)

10 (33.3%)

 

Lung disease

8 (28.6%)

7 (23.3%)

 

Both

14 (50%)

13 (43.4%)

 

Home oxygen therapy, n (%)

16 (57.1%)

14 (46.7%)

0.425

Comorbidity Charlson Index ≥2, n (%)

24 (85.7%)

26 (86.7%)

1

Indicators of clinical deterioration III, n (%)

21 (75%)

25 (83.3%)

0.434

Conditions to determine frequent use of healthcare services IV, n (%)

19 (67.9%)

24 (80%)

0.291

Adequate treatment adherence (Morisky Adherence Scale), n (%)

28 (100%)

29 (96.7%)

1

Use of healthcare resources over the year prior to inclusion

Regular medicines/day, mean (SD)

10.1 (3.1)

11.1 (3.3)

0.240

All-cause hospitalisations, mean (SD)

3.4 (1.7)

3.4 (1.7)

0.981

Cause-specific hospitalisationsV, mean (SD)

2.6 (1.5)

2.6 (1.5)

0.891

Length of stay (days/admission), mean (SD)

11.3 (6)

10.4 (7)

0.207

Emergency department attendances not resulting in admission, median (IQR)

1 (0 – 5)

1 (0 – 6)

0.920

Appointments with specialists, median (IQR)

3 (0 – 13)

2.5 (0 – 12)

0.129

Home visits, median (IQR)

20.0 (3 – 139)

23.5 (3 – 67)

0.291

Telephone contacts, median (IQR)

3 (0 – 22)

3.5 (0 – 20)

0.619

  1. IG: intervention group; CG: control group. The data are expressed as frequency and percentage (%) for categorical variables, and as mean with the standard deviation (SD) or median with the interquartile range (IQR) for continuous variables.
  2. I Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare categorical variables and Student’s t-tests or non-parametric Wilcoxon tests to compare continuous variables.
  3. II Based on the assessment of social factors including poverty, loneliness, isolation, social exclusion, and recent widowhood.
  4. III Presence of at least one of the following characteristics: bone and joint disease, ischaemic heart disease, sequelae of cerebrovascular accident, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, obesity (body mass index >30), visual or hearing impairment, current mental illness (receiving treatment), or other factors considered relevant by the patient’s doctor and documented.
  5. IV On acenocoumarol and/or presence of pressure ulcers and/or need for regular dressing changes or injections.
  6. V Admissions to hospital for respiratory and heart-related problems.
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BMC Health Services Research

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