Article Figures & Data
Tables
- Table 1.
Frequency and Percentage of Distributions of Study Sample, Study Pool, and Health Center Population Overall
Study Pool (N = 465)* n (%) Study Sample (N = 382)† n (%) CHC Patient Population Overall (Data Obtained from UDS Reports)‡ % Gender Male 136 (29.5) 108 (28.3) 42 Female 329 (70.5) 273 (71.7) 58 Insurance Medicaid 258 (56.1) 217 (57.4) 47 Medicare 68 (14.8) 62 (16.4) 9 Private 43 (9.3) 34 (9.0) 10 None/self-pay 91 (19.8) 65 (17.2) 31 Race§ American Indian 4 (0.9) 3 (0.8) 0 Asian 28 (6.0) 27 (7.1) 7 Black 45 (9.7) 37 (9.7) 12 White 159 (34.2) 136 (35.6) 33 Ethnicity‖ Hispanic 188 (40.4) 151 (39.5) 43 * Includes those patients for whom chart abstractions were completed during the 30-month study period (variable levels may not total 465 because of sporadic missing data).
† Excludes those patients for whom there was only one visit that represented the patient’s first visit to the health center (variable levels may not total 382 because of sporadic missing data).
‡ Federal Government Uniform Data System Report for the reporting period January 1998 to December 1998; reflects the population at the time the study commenced.
§ Data on race were missing from a significant number of the medical records abstracted (49.2% of the data on race were missing from the medical records of the study pool and from 46.9% of the study sample’s charts). Data in the table represent percentages from those charts where race was abstracted.
‖ Data on ethnicity was missing from a significant number of the medical records abstracted (40.2% of the data on ethnicity was missing from the medical records of the sample pool and from 40.3% of the study sample’s charts).
- Table 2.
Frequency and Percentage of Distributions of Demographic, Health Status, and Utilization Characteristics Comparing Frequent and Non-frequent Attenders (N = 381)*
Frequent Attenders (N = 79) Non-frequent Attenders (N = 302) Statistic† P Value Sociodemographic factors Age group 18 to 44 years 30 (37.9%) 195 (64.6%) χ2 = 18.521 <.001 45 to 64 years 39 (49.4%) 88 (29.1%) 65+ years 10 (12.7%) 19 (6.3%) Mean age (SD) 48.65 (14.15) 40.46 (14.89) t test = 4.395 <.001 Gender Male 18 (22.8%) 90 (29.8%) χ2 = 1.518 NS Female 61 (77.2%) 212 (70.2%) ZIP code of residence Within the CHC catchment area 20 (25.6%) 85 (28.2%) χ2 = 4.823 .090 Within the city, but outside the catchment area 48 (61.5%) 199 (66.1%) Outside of the city limits 10 (12.8%) 17 (5.6%) Marital Status Not currently married 45 (73.8%) 182 (69.7%) χ2 = 0.388 NS Married 16 (26.2%) 79 (30.3%) Insurance Status Medicaid 53 (67.1%) 163 (54.7%) χ2 = 16.754 .001 Medicare 19 (24.1%) 43 (14.4%) Private 2 (2.5%) 32 (10.7%) None/self-pay/Free Care 5 (6.3%) 60 (20.1%) Provider type MD/attending 39 (49.4%) 143 (47.4%) χ2 = 0.165 NS NP or PA 22 (27.8%) 91 (30.1%) Resident 18 (22.8%) 68 (22.5%) Health indicators Smoking status Not currently smoking 45 (60.0%) 167 (60.3%) χ2 = 0.002 NS Currently smoking 30 (40.0%) 110 (39.7%) Hypertension No 53 (67.1%) 232 (76.8%) χ2 = 3.147 .076 Yes 26 (32.9%) 70 (23.2%) Diabetes No 55 (69.6%) 274 (90.7%) χ2 = 23.674 <.001 Yes 24 (30.4%) 28 (9.3%) Obesity‡ No 33 (41.8%) 155 (51.3%) χ2 = 2.286 NS Yes 46 (58.2%) 147 (48.7%) Depression No 42 (53.2%) 221 (73.2%) χ2 = 11.733 .001 Yes 37 (46.8%) 81 (26.8%) Number of chronic physical conditions None 8 (10.1%) 116 (38.4%) χ2 = 22.818 <.001 One or more 71 (89.9%) 186 (61.8%) Mean number of chronic problems (SD) 2.27 (1.28) 1.10 (1.16) t test = 7.803 <.001 Number of chronic psychological conditions None 34 (43.0%) 193 (63.9%) χ2 = 11.325 .001 One or more 45 (57.0%) 109 (36.1%) Mean number of chronic problems (SD) 0.75 (0.78) 0.50 (0.75) t test = 2.619 .009 Utilization Factors Number of ER visits None/One 51 (66.2%) 268 (90.5%) χ2 = 29.158 <.001 2+ 26 (33.8%) 28 (9.5%) Mean number of ER visits (SD) 1.35 (1.72) 0.50 (1.32) t test = 4.019 <.001 Proportion of missed appointments based on number of scheduled appointments <50% 77 (100.0%) 241 (81.7%) χ2 = 16.488 <.001 ≥50% 0 (0.0%) 54 (18.3%) Mean proportion (SD) 0.1294 (0.1012) 0.2730 (0.2141) t test = 8.459 <.001 NS, not significant.
* Some numbers may not add up to N = 381 because of sporadic missing data.
† χ2 tests were used for categorical independent variables; t tests were used for continuous independent variables; all t tests were recomputed using Mann-Whitney U nonparametric tests because of skewness in the numbers of ED visits, missed appointments, and chronic problems (no differences in interpretation of the relationship between these variables and the outcome were found).
‡ Patients were categorized as being obese or not based on the notation of this diagnosis on the chronic problem list as well as through the calculation of their body mass index using height and weight data indicated in their medical record.
Independent Factors Number (and Percentage of Distribution) of Frequent Attenders (N = 79) Frequent Attenders OR (95% CI) Model % Predicted Correctly = 84.4 Age 18 to 44 years 30 (37.9%) 1.0 45 to 64 years 39 (49.4%) 1.849 (0.924, 3.701) 65+ years 10 (12.7%) 2.199 (0.667, 7.248) Gender Male 18 (22.8%) 1.0 Female 61 (77.2%) 1.271 (0.618, 2.616) ZIP code of residence Inside CHC catchment area 21 (25.7%) 1.0 Inside city/outside CHC catchment area 48 (61.5%) 0.730 (0.355, 1.503) Outside city limits 10 (12.8%) 3.676 (1.215, 11.125) Medicaid insurance coverage No 26 (32.9%) 1.0 Yes 53 (67.1%) 3.221 (1.543, 6.721) Diabetes No 55 (69.6%) 1.0 Yes 24 (30.4%) 5.034 (2.165, 11.704) Depression No 42 (53.2%) 1.0 Yes 37 (46.8%) 1.847 (0.960, 3.557) Number of ER visits (continuous variable) Mean: 1.35 (SD: 1.72) 1.535 (1.232, 1.914) Number of missed appointments (as a proportion of scheduled appointments) (continuous variable) Mean: 0.1294 (SD: 0.1012) 0.487 (0.362, 0.656) Intercept 0.177
