Patient characteristics: A) Age and length of treatment; B) Diagnostic category, symptom severity, education, and income.
| A) CHARACTERISTICS | IPSITH (N = 82)* | NON-IPSITH (N = 82)* |
| Mean age, y | 65.5 | 63.3 |
| Median age, y | 73 | 69 |
| Age range, y | 5–95 | 2–90 |
| Mean length of treatment, d | 6.39 | 6.35 |
| Median length of treatment, d | 6 | 6 |
| Length of treatment range, d | 1–23 | 1–23 |
| B) CHARACTERISTICS | IPSITH (N = 82),* N (%)† | NON-IPSITH (N = 82),* N (%)† |
| Sex | ||
| • Male | 40 (48.8) | 40 (48.8) |
| Diagnostic category | ||
| • Skin infection | 25 (30.5) | 26 (31.7) |
| • Respiratory illness | 14 (17.1) | 15 (18.3) |
| • Dehydration | 12 (14.6) | 11 (13.4) |
| • Congestive heart failure, cardiovascular difficulties | 10 (12.2) | 9 (11.0) |
| • Functional decline, dementia | 3 (3.7) | 3 (3.7) |
| • Urinary tract infection | 4 (4.9) | 4 (4.9) |
| • Gastrointestinal difficulties | 6 (7.3) | 6 (7.3) |
| • Other | 8 (9.8) | 8 (9.7) |
| • Total | 82 (100) | 82 (100) |
| Symptom severity | ||
| • None | 1 (1.2) | 3 (8.3) |
| • Questionable | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| • Mild | 3 (3.7) | 8 (22.2) |
| • Moderate | 53 (64.6) | 17 (47.2) |
| • Major | 25 (30.5) | 8 (22.2) |
| • Total | 82 (100) | 36 (100) |
| Education | ||
| • Elementary school (grades 1–8) | 19 (23.2) | 13 (16.0) |
| • Some high school (grades 9–12) | 16 (19.5) | 20 (24.7) |
| • Completed high school | 16 (19.5) | 20 (24.7) |
| • Community college | 11 (13.4) | 17 (21.0) |
| • University | 20 (24.4) | 11 (13.6) |
| • Total | 82 (100) | 81 (100) |
| Income, $ | ||
| • < 20 000 | 21 (28.8) | 21 (30.4) |
| • 20 000–39 999 | 21 (28.8) | 28 (40.6) |
| • 40 000–59 999 | 11 (15.1) | 9 (13.0) |
| • 60 000–79 999 | 10 (13.7) | 6 (8.7) |
| • ≥ 80 000 | 10 (13.7) | 5 (7.2) |
| • Total | 73 (100) | 69 (100) |
IPSITH—Integrating Physician Services in the Home.
↵* The reported sample size varies by characteristic because of failure to respond (eg, patients not answering income question and non-IPSITH family physicians not completing Duke Severity of Illness Checklist).
↵† Some percentages do not add to 100% owing to rounding.