Table 1 Patient characteristics at time of referral, reason of referral and mortality during the ED visit or during the subsequent hospitalization (N = 348), N (%)
|  | Referred by elderly care physician, N = 69 | Referred by GP, N = 279 | Total, N = 348 |
|---|---|---|---|
Age, per category | |||
 60–74 | 10 (14.5) | 22 (7.9) | 32 (9.2) |
 75–84 | 26 (37.7) | 110 (39.4) | 136 (39.1) |
 85–94 | 28 (40.6) | 135 (48.4) | 163 (46.8) |
  ≥ 95 years | 5 (7.2) | 12 (4.3) | 17 (4.9) |
Sex | |||
 Female | 43 (62.3) | 172 (61.6) | 215 (61.8) |
Living situation | |||
 Nursing home | 69 (100) | – | 69 (19.8) |
 At home, with: | – | 279 (100) | – |
  - No home care services | – | 99 (35.5) | 99 (28.4) |
  - Home care services | – | 176 (63.1) | 176 (50.6) |
  - Unknown amount of services | – | 4 (1.4) | 4 (1.1) |
Mobility | |||
 Walking | |||
  - Independent | 4 (5.8) | 66 (23.7) | 70 (20.1) |
  - With walking aid (walking stick/wheeled walker) | 32 (46.4) | 193 (69.2) | 225 (64.7) |
 Wheelchair dependent | 31 (44.9) | 14 (5.0) | 45 (12.9) |
 Unknown | 2 (2.9) | 6 (2.2) | 8 (2.3) |
Presence of a cognitive disorder | |||
 Yes | 60 (87.0) | 151 (54.1) | 211 (60.6) |
 No | 6 (8.7) | 125 (44.8) | 131 (37.6) |
 Unknown | 3 (4.3) | 3 (1.1) | 6 (1.7) |
Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) | |||
 0 | 1 (1.4) | 36 (12.9) | 37 (10.6) |
 1–2 | 32 (46.4) | 160 (57.3) | 192 (55.2) |
  ≥ 3 | 36 (52.2) | 81 (29.0) | 117 (33.6) |
 Unknown | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.7) | 2 (0.6) |
Number of prescriptions | |||
 0 | 0 (0.0) | 5 (1.8) | 5 (1.4) |
 1–5 | 3 (4.3) | 78 (28.0) | 81 (23.3) |
 6–10 | 22 (31.9) | 114 (40.9) | 136 (39.1) |
 11–15 | 28 (40.6) | 63 (22.6) | 91 (26.1) |
  > 15 | 14 (20.3) | 18 (6.5) | 32 (9.2) |
 Unknown | 2 (2.9) | 1 (0.4) | 3 (0.9) |
Category of the main reason for referral | |||
 Internal medicine | 31 (44.9) | 105 (37.6) | 136 (39.1) |
 Acute cognitive decline | 17 (24.6) | 92 (33.0) | 109 (31.3) |
 Functional decline | 3 (4.3) | 46 (16.5) | 49 (14.1) |
 Pulmonological | 5 (7.2) | 11 (3.9) | 16 (4.6) |
 Neurological | 5 (7.2) | 10 (3.6) | 15 (4.3) |
 Psychiatric | 3 (4.3) | 6 (2.2) | 9 (2.6) |
 Chronic cognitive decline | 3 (4.3) | 4 (1.4) | 7 (2.0) |
 Cardiological | 2 (2.9) | 5 (1.8) | 7 (2.0) |
Number of hospitalizations during one year before ED visit | |||
 0 | 48 (69.6) | 195 (69.9) | 243 (69.8) |
 1 | 13 (18.8) | 50 (17.9) | 63 (18.1) |
  ≥ 2 | 8 (11.6) | 34 (12.2) | 42 (12.1) |
Mortality during ED visit or during the subsequent hospitalization | 7 (10.1) | 17 (6.1) | 24 (6.9) |