Table 1 Population characteristics at emergency transfer date and comparison between inappropriate and appropriate ED transfer groups

Characteristics of the residents

 Sex

  Female

425 (69%)

86 (65%)

339 (70%)

Chi2

0.282

 Age (mean, SD)

87 (7.29)

85.81 (7.97)

87.34 (7.06)

Mann-Whitney

0.024

 Charlson score

  0

55 (9%)

14 (10%)

41 (8%)

Chi2

0.561

  1 to 2

269 (44%)

58 (44%)

211 (44%)

  3 to 4

184 (30%)

34 (26%)

150 (31%)

  ≥ 5

89 (14%)

22 (17%)

67 (14%)

  NA

19 (3%)

4 (3%)

15 (3%)

 Katz ADL score (dependency score)

  0 = Total

33 (6%)

12 (9%)

21 (4%)

Fisher’s exact

0.016

  1–3 = High

390 (63%)

74 (56%)

316 (66%)

  4–5 = Moderate

161 (26%)

43 (33%)

118 (24%)

  6 = No dependency

23 (4%)

2 (1%)

21 (4%)

  NA

9 (1%)

1 (1%)

8 (2%)

 Palliative care

  No

550 (89%)

107 (81%)

443 (92%)

Chi2

< 0.001

  Yes

40 (7%)

19 (14%)

21 (4%)

  NA

26 (4%)

6 (5%)

20 (4%)

 Advance directives not to hospitalize

  No

546 (89%)

116 (88%)

430 (89%)

Fisher’s exact

0.078

  Yes

7 (1%)

4 (3%)

3 (1%)

  DNK

63 (10%)

12 (9%)

51 (10%)

Characteristics of the nursing homes

 French departments

  Ariège (09)

68 (11%)

22 (17%)

46 (10%)

Fisher’s exact

0.039

  Aveyron (12)

26 (4%)

6 (5%)

20 (4%)

  Haute-Garonne (31)

204 (33%)

36 (27%)

168 (35%)

  Gers (32)

36 (6%)

5 (3%)

31 (6%)

  Hérault (34)

1 (1%)

1 (1%)

0 (0%)

  Lot (46)

23 (4%)

6 (5%)

17 (4%)

  Hautes-Pyrénées (65)

88 (14%)

26 (20%)

62 (13%)

  Tarn (81)

125 (20%)

21 (16%)

104 (21%)

  Tarn-et-Garonne (82)

45 (7%)

9 (6%)

36 (7%)

 PIU

118 (19%)

30 (23%)

88 (18%)

Chi2

0.239

 Number of beds (mean, SD)

89 (35)

92 (36)

88 (34)

Mann-Whitney

0.112

 Distance to the ED in kilometers (mean, SD)

17.52 (13.39)

16.56 (13.71)

17.78 (13.30)

Mann-Whitney

0.208

 Coordinating physician

543 (88%)

119 (90%)

424 (88%)

Chi2

0.422

 Geriatric nursing assistant

404 (66%)

87 (66%)

317 (65%)

Chi2

0.929

Characteristics of the ED transfer

 Period of transfer

  January to March

174 (28%)

33 (25%)

141 (29%)

Chi2

0.412

  April to June

153 (25%)

35 (27%)

118 (25%)

  July to September

145 (24%)

37 (28%)

108 (22%)

  October to December

144 (23%)

27 (20%)

117 (24%)

 Post-transfer destination

  Death

6 (1%)

2 (1%)

4 (1%)

Chi2

< 0.001

  Back at nursing home

284 (46%)

88 (67%)

196 (40%)

  Hospitalization

326 (53%)

42 (32%)

284 (59%)