Characteristics of the overall study population
| Study population (n=3081) | ||
| N | Value | |
| Social and clinical characteristics | ||
| Age, years (mean±SD) | 3081 | 86.4±5.5 |
| Sex (male), N (%) | 3081 | 1050 (34.1) |
| Place of residence, N (%) | 3077 | |
| At home | 2484 (80.7) | |
| In a residential home | 593 (19.2) | |
| Hospitalised in the previous 6 months, N (%) | 3028 | 1178 (38.9) |
| Charlson comorbidity index, N (%) | 3081 | |
| 0–2 | 1295 (42) | |
| 3–4 | 1485 (48) | |
| >4 | 300 (9.9) | |
| Cancer, N (%) | 3059 | 459 (15.0) |
| Geriatric syndromes | ||
| Living alone, N (%) | 3063 | 1412 (46.1) |
| Socially isolated, N (%) | 3050 | 261 (8.6) |
| Number of medications taken at home (mean±SD) | 3077 | 7.9±3.6 |
| Polypharmacy*, N (%) | 3026 | 655 (21.6) |
| Psychotropic medication, N (%) | 3047 | 1679 (55.1) |
| Katz ADL at home†, N (%) | 2905 | |
| ≥ 3 | 2217 (76.3) | |
| < 3 | 688 (23.7) | |
| Body mass index (mean±SD) | 2800 | 25.1±5.7 |
| Malnutrition‡, N (%) | 2890 | 808 (28) |
| Swallowing disorder, N (%) | 3023 | 449 (14.8) |
| History of depression, N (%) | 3055 | 614 (20.1) |
| Cognitive disorder§, N (%) | 3081 | |
| No | 1406 (45.6) | |
| Memory complaints | 566 (18.4) | |
| Known neurocognitive disorders | 1109 (36) | |
| Walking ability, N (%) | 3065 | |
| No, confined to bed | 151 (4.9) | |
| No, bed or chair only | 416 (13.6) | |
| Walks with assistance | 1412 (46.1) | |
| Walks unaided | 1086 (35.4) | |
| Changes in hospital | ||
| Katz ADL on admission (median (IQR)) | 3066 | 3.0 (1.0; 5.0) |
| Katz ADL on discharge (median (IQR)) | 3028 | 4.0 (2.0; 5.0) |
| Change in Katz ADL in hospital, N (%) | 3024 | |
| Worse | 274 (9.1) | |
| Stable | 1699 (56.2) | |
| Better | 1051 (34.8) | |
| Bodyweight on admission, kg (median (IQR)) | 2926 | 64.9 (55.0; 76.6) |
| Bodyweight on discharge, kg (median (IQR)) | 2225 | 64.0 (54.0; 76.0) |
| Change in bodyweight in hospital N (%) | 2176 | |
| Decrease | 1034 (47.5) | |
| Stable | 398 (18.3) | |
| Increase | 744 (34.2) | |
| Serum albumin level, g/L (mean±SD) | 3015 | 31.8±5.4 |
| Blood haemoglobin level, g/L (mean±SD) | 3075 | 11.7±1.9 |
| Serum creatinine level, µmol/mL (median (IQR)) | 3075 | 87.5 (64.5; 114.9) |
| Delirium on admission, N (%) | 3081 | 425 (13.8) |
| Time spent in each state during the hospital stay, days (mean±SD) | 3081 | |
| Late discharge¶ | 3.6±4.1 | |
| Medical obstacle to discharge** | 5.3±4.7 | |
| Community-acquired infection | 1.4±2.9 | |
| Hospital-acquired infection | 0.3±1.7 | |
| Follow-up | ||
| Number of hospital admissions during follow-up, N | 2670 | |
| Patients readmitted to hospital, N (%) | 1531 (49) | |
| One hospital readmission | 856 (19) | |
| Two hospital readmissions | 350 (11) | |
| Three hospital readmissions | 142 (4.6) | |
| Four hospital readmissions | 63 (2.0) | |
| Five hospital readmissions | 18 (0.5) | |
| Death during follow-up, N (%) | 1014 (32.9) | |
*At least 10 medications taken at home.
†Dependence before admission was defined as a Katz ADL score at home <3.
‡Weight loss >5% in 1 month or >10% in 6 months, or body mass index <21.
§Memory complaints reported by the family or the patient, or known neurocognitive disorders.
¶Late discharge, defined as being in a stable state for all 24 hours of the previous working day.
**Medical obstacle to discharge: assigned if the patient was not in any of the other states (late discharge, treatment of a community-acquired infection, treatment of a hospital-acquired infection or palliative care).
ADL, activities of daily living; N, number of patients with no missing data.