Figure 1
Patient watch model.
Table 1
Characteristics of propensity score matched controls and Northern Patient Watch (NPW) enrolees.
| CHARACTERISTICS | CONTROLS (n = 273) | NPW ENROLEES (n = 273) | p-VALUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGE | 1.00 | ||
| 20–24 | 1 (0.4%) | 2 (0.7%) | |
| 30–34 | 5 (1.8%) | 6 (2.2%) | |
| 35–39 | 4 (1.5%) | 4 (1.5%) | |
| 40–44 | 5 (1.8%) | 5 (1.8%) | |
| 45–49 | 9 (3.3%) | 7 (2.6%) | |
| 50–54 | 14 (5.1%) | 13 (4.8%) | |
| 55–59 | 17 (6.2%) | 16 (5.9%) | |
| 60–64 | 31 (11.4%) | 27 (9.9%) | |
| 65–69 | 28 (10.3%) | 34 (12.5%) | |
| 70–74 | 43 (15.8%) | 41 (15.0%) | |
| 75–79 | 43 (15.8%) | 52 (19.0%) | |
| 80–84 | 39 (14.3%) | 38 (13.9%) | |
| 85–89 | 29 (10.6%) | 23 (8.4%) | |
| 90+ | 5 (1.8%) | 5 (1.8%) | |
| GENDER | 0.86 | ||
| Male | 121 (44.3%) | 118 (43.2%) | |
| Female | 152 (55.7%) | 155 (56.8%) | |
| ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER | 1.00 | ||
| Yes | 4 (1.5%) | 4 (1.5%) | |
| RELIGION | 0.64 | ||
| Christianity | 168 (61.5%) | 181 (66.3%) | |
| Hinduism | 2 (0.7%) | 2 (0.7%) | |
| Islam | 22 (8.1%) | 21 (7.7%) | |
| Other Religions | 2 (0.7%) | 4 (1.5%) | |
| Secular/No Religion | 79 (28.9%) | 65 (23.8%) | |
| RELATIONSHIP STATUS | 0.55 | ||
| Married/De facto | 144 (52.7%) | 136 (49.8%) | |
| Single/Widowed/Divorced | 129 (47.3%) | 137 (50.2%) | |
| SEIFA SCORE*, mean (SD) | 945.1 (60.5) | 947.4 (60.2) | 0.65 |
| SEIFA LOWER QUARTILE | 92 (33.7%) | 92 (33.7%) | 1.00 |
| ADMISSION TYPE** | 1.00 | ||
| Emergency | 230 (84.2%) | 231 (84.6%) | |
| Elective | 43 (15.8%) | 42 (15.4%) | |
| OVERALL LENGTH OF STAY (days)**, median (IQR) | 1.0 (1.0, 3.0) | 1.0 (1.0, 4.0) | 0.38 |
| ENGLISH SPEAKING | 209 (76.6%) | 220 (80.6%) | 0.25 |
| REQUIRES AN INTERPRETER | 49 (17.9%) | 40 (14.7%) | 0.30 |
| ANY PRIOR CHEMOTHERAPY/RADIOTHERAPY | 22 (8.1%) | 26 (9.5%) | 0.55 |
| ELIXHAUSER SCORE, mean (SD) | 8.9 (8.9) | 9.2 (9.1) | 0.72 |
| HEALTH CONDITIONS | |||
| Congestive heart failure | 62 (22.7%) | 71 (26.0%) | 0.37 |
| Cardiac arrhythmias | 84 (30.8%) | 94 (34.4%) | 0.36 |
| Valvular disease | 7 (2.6%) | 10 (3.7%) | 0.46 |
| Pulmonary circulation disorders | 9 (3.3%) | 16 (5.9%) | 0.15 |
| Peripheral vascular disorders | 16 (5.9%) | 15 (5.5%) | 0.85 |
| Hypertension | 64 (23.4%) | 65 (23.8%) | 0.92 |
| Paralysis | 6 (2.2%) | 7 (2.6%) | 0.78 |
| Other neurological disorders | 19 (7.0%) | 16 (5.9%) | 0.60 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 69 (25.3%) | 57 (20.9%) | 0.22 |
| Diabetes, uncomplicated | 90 (33.0%) | 94 (34.4%) | 0.72 |
| Diabetes, complicated | 93 (34.1%) | 97 (35.5%) | 0.72 |
| Hypothyroidism | 11 (4.0%) | 4 (1.5%) | 0.067 |
| Renal failure | 32 (11.7%) | 45 (16.5%) | 0.11 |
| Liver disease | 23 (8.4%) | 17 (6.2%) | 0.32 |
| Peptic Ulcer disease | 3 (1.1%) | 8 (2.9%) | 0.13 |
| Lymphoma | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1.00 |
| Metastatic cancer | 2 (0.7%) | 2 (0.7%) | 1.00 |
| Solid tumour without metastasis | 9 (3.3%) | 14 (5.1%) | 0.29 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 9 (3.3%) | 11 (4.0%) | 0.65 |
| Coagulopathy | 10 (3.7%) | 14 (5.1%) | 0.40 |
| Obesity | 6 (2.2%) | 5 (1.8%) | 0.76 |
| Weight loss | 53 (19.4%) | 44 (16.1%) | 0.31 |
| Fluid and electrolyte disorders | 107 (39.2%) | 110 (40.3%) | 0.79 |
| Blood loss anaemia | 10 (3.7%) | 5 (1.8%) | 0.19 |
| Deficiency anaemias | 36 (13.2%) | 48 (17.6%) | 0.15 |
| Alcohol abuse | 14 (5.1%) | 14 (5.1%) | 1.00 |
| Drug abuse | 6 (2.2%) | 6 (2.2%) | 1.00 |
| Psychoses | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (0.7%) | 0.16 |
| Depression | 14 (5.1%) | 13 (4.8%) | 0.84 |
| IN-HOSPITAL COMPLICATION** | 24 (8.8%) | 32 (11.7%) | 0.26 |
[i] *The SEIFA score (Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas) is a set of measures developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to rank areas in Australia according to their relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage. The scale used here was the IRSAD (Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage) which ranges from 500–1200 with the average being 1000. The lower quartile indicates that the patient is from a postcode in the lowest 25% of the country.
** Admission type, in-hospital complication and length of stay for Index Admission.
Table 2
Hospital utilisation at 3-(n = 267), 6-(n = 260) and 12-months (n = 242)*.
| OUTCOME | CONTROLS | NPW ENROLEES | p-VALUE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions | ||||
| 3 months | mean (SD) | 0.89 (1.18) | 0.66 (0.99) | 0.014 |
| median (IQR) | 1.00 (0.00, 1.00) | 0.00 (0.00, 1.00) | 0.004 | |
| 6 months | mean (SD) | 1.88 (2.32) | 1.31 (1.67) | 0.001 |
| median (IQR) | 1.00 (0.00, 3.00) | 1.00 (0.00, 2.00) | <0.001 | |
| 12 months | mean (SD) | 3.11 (4.03) | 2.52 (3.06) | 0.070 |
| median (IQR) | 2.00 (1.00, 4.00) | 1.00 (0.00, 4.00) | 0.007 | |
| Length of stay/bed-days | ||||
| 3 months | mean (SD) | 5.88 (14.89) | 2.27 (7.52) | <0.001 |
| median (IQR) | 1.00 (0.00, 4.00) | 0.00 (0.00, 1.00) | <0.001 | |
| 6 months | mean (SD) | 9.93 (19.50) | 5.01 (13.28) | <0.001 |
| median (IQR) | 2.00 (0.00, 9.00) | 1.00 (0.00, 4.00) | <0.001 | |
| 12 months | mean (SD) | 14.08 (24.26) | 9.48 (19.23) | 0.021 |
| median (IQR) | 4.00 (1.00, 15.00) | 2.00 (0.00, 8.00) | <0.001 | |
| Emergency Presentations | ||||
| 3 months | mean (SD) | 0.21 (0.53) | 0.21 (0.51) | 0.93 |
| median (IQR) | 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) | 0.00 (0.00, 0.00) | 0.63 | |
| 6 months | mean (SD) | 0.41 (0.69) | 0.50 (0.84) | 0.17 |
| median (IQR) | 0.00 (0.00, 1.00) | 0.00 (0.00, 1.00) | 0.33 | |
| 12 months | mean (SD) | 0.77 (1.03) | 0.81 (1.07) | 0.73 |
| median (IQR) | 0.00 (0.00, 1.00) | 0.00 (0.00, 1.00) | 0.78 | |
| Any non-attendance at outpatient appointment(s) | ||||
| 3 months | n (%) | 82 (30.7%) | 50 (18.7%) | 0.001 |
| 6 months | n (%) | 115 (44.2%) | 85 (32.7%) | 0.007 |
| 12 months | n (%) | 133 (55.0%) | 108 (44.6%) | 0.023 |
[i] * Patient pair totals reduce over follow-up due to deaths of either the cases or controls in each pair. A pair is maintained throughout.
NB: significant.
Figure 2
Cumulative inpatient admissions, bed-days, emergency presentations and outpatient appointments for NPW verses controls.