Patient and Clinic Characteristics for High-Risk VA Patients with Diabetes, Fiscal Year 2019
| Patient Characteristics, n = 188,569 | N (%)/Mean (SD) |
|---|---|
| Age Group | |
| <65 | 61,097 (32) |
| 65 to 70 | 52,453 (28) |
| 71+ | 75,019 (40) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 179,134 (95) |
| Female | 9,435 (5) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White | 123,126 (65) |
| Black | 41,508 (22) |
| Hispanic | 13,016 (7) |
| Other* | 10,919 (6) |
| Marital status | |
| Married | 93,391 (50) |
| Single/never married | 19,380 (10) |
| Divorced/separated | 61,932 (33) |
| Widowed | 13,866 (7) |
| Priority status | |
| 1 to 2: service-connected disability 30%+ | 101,733 (54) |
| 3 to 4: service-connected disability 10% to 20%/housebound | 23,546 (12) |
| 5 to 6: below VA means test/5 years postdischarge | 57,033 (30) |
| 7 to 8: above VA means test | 6,257 (3) |
| Drive time to nearest primary care site (in minutes) | 21 (16) |
| Rurality | |
| Rural | 64,997 (34) |
| Urban | 123,572 (66) |
| Comorbidities | |
| Sum of Elixhauser comorbid conditions | 6.4 (3.0) |
| Hypertension | 176,426 (94) |
| Hyperlipidemia | 157,115 (83) |
| Depression | 72,273 (38) |
| Diabetes medication drug class | |
| Alpha-glucosidase | 1,656 (1) |
| Biguanides | 84,732 (45) |
| Dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors | 19,686 (10) |
| Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist | 14,874 (8) |
| Meglitinides | 41 (<1) |
| Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors | 9,825 (5) |
| Sulfonylureas | 59,727 (32) |
| Thiazolidinediones | 6,828 (4) |
| Clinic characteristics, n = 930 | |
| Average wait time for appointment (in days) | 4.3 (2.8) |
| Proportion of encounters provided by telephone | 27% (10) |
| Percent of patients with prior telehealth use | 17% (6.8) |
↵* Other includes Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, and unknown race/ethnicity.
Abbreviations: VA, Veterans Affairs; SD, standard deviation.