Patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, intervention and standard care
| Characteristic | Standard (n=121) | Intervention (n=112) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, n (%), male | 49 (40.5) | 52 (46.4) | 0.217 |
| General medical service* status, (%) in receipt | 72 (50.0) | 61 (55.0) | 0.260 |
| Employment status, (%) working | 56 (46.3) | 49 (44.1) | 0.423 |
| Smoking status, (%) current user | 36 (29.8) | 37 (33.0) | 0.690 |
| Alcohol use, (%) current user | 53 (43.8) | 46 (41.1) | 0.773 |
| Age, years, median (IQR) | 64 (52–75) | 62 (54–77) | 0.922 |
| Age ≥65 years, n (%) | 60 (49.6) | 48 (42.9) | 0.369 |
| Length of stay, days, median (IQR) | 6 (4–12) | 7 (4–12) | 0.593 |
| Charlson comorbidity index, median (IQR) | 2 (1–3) | 1 (1-3) | 0.915 |
| Number of medicines†, median (IQR) | 10 (7–12) | 9 (7–13) | 0.727 |
*General Medical Service refers to government support for healthcare, including general practitioner visits and prescribed medication, eligibility is largely based on income.
†Relates to the total number of medicines prescribed before admission and those added during admission that remained active at discharge, exclusive of medications commenced and stopped within the hospital episode.