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Table 1 Patient characteristics by intensity of predialysis nephrology care

From: Predialysis nephrology care and dialysis-related health outcomes among older adults initiating dialysis

Characteristic

Overall

No visits

Low intensitya

Moderate intensitya

High intensitya

P-value

N = 58,014

N = 26,798

N = 12,566

N = 7,690

N = 10,960

Patient Characteristics

 Age (yrs)b

75.7

76.1

75.5

75.2

75.2

<0.001

 Female, %

50.1

52.2

50.7

48.0

46.1

<0.001

Race, %

     

0.16

  White

75.2

75.3

75.4

74.9

74.9

 

  African American

20.9

20.7

20.7

21.7

21.1

 

  Other

3.9

4.0

3.9

3.4

4.0

 

 Hispanic Ethnicity, %

9.0

9.2

9.6

8.7

8.3

0.002

 Body Mass Index (kg/m2)b

26.0

25.8

25.9

26.4

26.3

<0.001

Geographic Characteristics

 Hospital Densityc

20.0

20.0

21.3

20.6

18.2

<0.001

 Physician Densityd

2.2

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.2

<0.001

 Urban Residence

84.1

84.5

82.5

82.7

85.9

<0.001

 Median Income < $30,000e

23.1

23.6

24.0

23.3

20.7

<0.001

Region, %

     

<0.001

  Northeast

14.5

14.4

14.2

14.4

15.1

 

  Midwest

25.7

28.6

24.5

23.8

21.4

 

  South

38.1

33.5

39.7

41.0

45.2

 

  West

20.3

22.2

20.0

19.1

17.1

 

Predialysis Healthcare Use

 Primary Care Visitsb

4.2

4.1

4.5

4.5

4.0

<0.001

 Inpatient Daysb

12.8

14.8

14.5

9.9

7.7

<0.001

 Inpatient Admissionsb

1.5

1.5

1.6

1.3

1.2

<0.001

Predialysis Comorbidities, %

 Myocardial Infarction

10.8

13.3

10.7

8.0

6.8

<0.001

 Congestive Heart Failure

57.6

62.1

59.7

53.0

47.2

<0.001

 Cerebrovascular Disease

11.5

12.5

12.4

10.0

9.3

<0.001

 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

25.9

29.0

26.3

22.6

20.1

<0.001

 Diabetes mellitus

52.4

50.6

54.4

55.9

52.2

<0.001

 Hypertension

92.8

88.7

95.2

96.9

97.5

<0.001

 Peripheral vascular disease

22.0

23.0

23.7

21.3

18.2

<0.001

 Veteran, %

12.8

10.1

14.0

16.1

15.6

<0.001

  1. aPatients were categorized by intensity of predialysis nephrology care: low intensity care (1–3 nephrology visits), moderate intensity care (4–6 nephrology visits), and high intensity care (>6 nephrology visits)
  2. bMean value
  3. cNumber of hospitals per million persons (1990)
  4. dNumber of physicians per thousand persons (1990)
  5. e1999 data (US dollars)