Baseline characteristics of discharged medical patients categorized by attendance at primary care appointments
| Characteristic | All patients n = 214 | Attendance at PCP appointment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No n = 90 (42%) | Yes n = 124 (58%) | Unadjusted OR (95% CI) | ||
| Age, yr, mean ± SD | 70 ± 16 | 68 ± 18 | 71 ± 15 | 1.01 (0.99–1.03) |
| Male sex | 122 (57) | 47 (52) | 75 (60) | 1.40 (0.81–2.42) |
| Discharge diagnosis | ||||
| CHF | 40 (19) | 20 (22) | 20 (16) | 0.67 (0.34–1.34) |
| CAP | 18 (8.4) | 8 (8.9) | 10 (8.1) | 0.90 (0.34–2.38) |
| COPD | 16 (7.5) | 4 (4.4) | 12 (9.7) | 2.30 (0.72–7.39) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index, mean ± SD | 2.6 ± 2.0 | 2.5 ± 2.0 | 2.7 ± 2.0 | 1.04 (0.91–1.19) |
| Length of stay, d, mean ± SD (median) | 8.6 ± 9.4 (6) | 9.4 ± 9.6 (6) | 8.0 ± 9.2 (5) | 0.98 (0.96–1.01) |
| ED visits in previous 6 mo, mean ± SD | 1.0 ± 1.9 | 1.3 ± 2.4 | 0.9 ± 1.4 | 0.89 (0.77–1.04) |
| Cognitive impairment or psychiatric diagnosis | 92 (43) | 43 (48) | 49 (40) | 0.71 (0.41–1.24) |
| Language barrier | 83 (39) | 37 (41) | 46 (37) | 0.84 (0.48–1.47) |
| Social isolation | 24 (11) | 7 (7.8) | 17 (14) | 1.88 (0.75–4.75) |
| Mobility impairment | 100 (47) | 46 (51) | 54 (44) | 0.74 (0.43–1.27) |
| Presence of a home support worker | 134 (63) | 62 (69) | 72 (58) | 0.63 (0.35–1.11) |
| Primary care appointment booked before discharge | 109 (51) | 36 (40) | 73 (59) | 2.15 (1.24–3.73) |
| Received booking help from transitional care specialist | 105 (51) | 38 (42) | 68 (55) | 1.61 (0.93–2.78) |
| Familiar primary care provider | 166 (78) | 62 (69) | 104 (84) | 2.35 (1.22–4.52) |
| Requested a new primary care provider | 58 (27) | 25 (28) | 33 (27) | 0.94 (0.51–1.73) |
| Specialist appointment booked before discharge | 61 (29) | 36 (40) | 25 (12) | 0.38 (0.21–0.70) |
| Weekend discharge | 26 (12) | 10 (11) | 16 (13) | 1.19 (0.51–2.75) |
| Provided no instructions regarding primary care follow-up | 42 (19) | 21 (23) | 21 (17) | 0.67 (0.34–1.32) |
| Recommended primary care follow-up only | 111 (52) | 47 (52) | 64 (52) | 0.98 (0.57–1.68) |
| Recommended primary care follow-up and provided time but no callback number | 41 (19) | 17 (19) | 24 (19) | 1.03 (0.52–2.06) |
| Recommended primary care follow-up and provided callback number but no appointment time | 8 (3.7) | 4 (4.4) | 4 (3.2) | 0.72 (0.17–2.95) |
| Recommended primary care follow-up and provided both callback number and time | 12 (5.6) | 1 (1.1) | 11 (8.8) | 8.66 (1.1–68.32) |
Note: CAP = community acquired pneumonia, CHF = congestive heart failure, CI = confidence interval, COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ED = emergency department, OR = odds ratio, PCP = primary care physician, SD = standard deviation.