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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the intervention patients and controls

From: Telemedical monitoring of patients with chronic heart failure has a positive effect on total health costs

Variable

 

Mean (SD) / N (%)

Test statistics

Intervention group (N = 1943)

Control group (N = 3719)

Sex

Male

1052 (54.14%)

2014 (54.15%)

Female

891 (45.86%)

1705 (45.85%)

 

Age groups

41–45 years

8 (0.41%)

15 (0.41%)

46–50 years

22 (1.13%)

42 (1.12%)

 

51–55 years

46 (2.37%)

88 (2.36%)

56–60 years

69 (3.55%)

132 (3.54%)

61–65 years

127 (6.54%)

243 (6.52%)

66–70 years

305 (15.70%)

585 (15.72%)

71–75 years

426 (21.92%)

816 (21.93%)

76–80 years

441 (22.70%)

845 (22.73%)

81–85 years

314 (16.16%)

601 (16.16%)

86–90 years

159 (8.18%)

304 (8.18%)

91–95 years

26 (1.34%)

49 (1.33%)

Mean age [years]

74.44 (SD 8.97)

74.48 (SD 9.04)

t = − 0.125, p = 0.9004

NYHA class

NYHA I

19 (0.98%)

36 (0.98%)

NYHA II

614 (31.60%)

1175 (31.60%)

 

NYHA III

779 (40.09%)

1491 (40.09%)

NYHA IV

531 (27.33%)

1016 (27.33%)

Hospital admissions

All causes

2.54 (SD 1.73)

2.53 (SD 1.88)

t = 0.090, p = 0.9283

(baseline year)

Related to CHF

1.37 (SD 0,86)

1.37 (SD 0.86)

Emergency hospitalization (baseline year)

All causes

0.65 (SD 1.27)

0.55 (SD 1.30)

t = 2.752, p = 0.0059**

Total health costs [€] (quarterly mean in baseline year, SD)

All regions

3747 (3007)

3750 (3021)

t = −0.037, p = 0.9705

Urban

3723 (2900)

3959 (3503)

t = −1.555, p = 0.1201

Rural

3820 (3313)

3677 (2829)

t = 0.882, p = 0.3777

Health cost [€] (mean, SD)

In-patient

2464 (2376)

2403 (2322)

t = 0.896, p = 0.3702

Outpatient

296 (635)

294 (764)

t = 0.126, p = 0.9000

Drugs

547 (788)

564 (751)

t = − 0.752, p = 0.4523

Remedy

49 (131)

39 (126)

t = 2.705, p = 0.0068**

Adjuvant

97 (213)

110 (226)

t = −2.100, p = 0.0358*

Home health care

127 (525)

140.06 (426)

t = −0.919, p = 0.3583

Travel costs

160 (271)

198 (304)

t = −4.660, p < 0.0001***

Rehabilitation

7 (44)

3 (27)

t = 3.738, p = 0.0002***

Medication (percentage “yes” per active agent in baseline quarter)

Angiotensin-converting enzymes

845 (43.49%)

1637 (44.01%)

Chi2 = 0.119, p = 0.7301

Beta-blockers

1261 (64.90%)

2340 (62.93%)

Chi2 = 2.057, p = 0.1515

Renin-inhibitors

36 (1.85%)

51 (1.36%)

Chi2 = 1.754, p = 0.1853

Cardiac glycosides

279 (14.36%)

548 (14.73%)

Chi2 = 0.111, p = 0.7388

Diuretics

1298 (66.80%)

2507 (67.40%)

Chi2 = 0.178, p = 0.6727

AT1 receptor blocker

385 (19.81%)

651 (17.51%)

Chi2 = 4.397, p = 0.0360*

Mental and behavioral disorders

Yes

743 (38.24%)

1421 (38.20%)

disorders (baseline quarter)

No

1200 (61.76%)

2298 (61.80%)

 

Residential Area

Berlin

1461 (75.19%)

969 (26.06%)

Chi2 = 1411.6, p < 0.0001***

 

Brandenburg

436 (22.44%)

1482 (39.84%)

 

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

27 (1.39%)

1235 (33.20%)

 

Other

19 (0.98%)

34 (0.90%)

 

Nursing care level of carea

No care

1398 (71.95%)

2678 (72.02%)

Chi2 = 20.932, p = 0.0001***

 

Level 1

376 (19.35%)

615 (16.53%)

 

Level 2

159 (8.18%)

370 (9.94%)

 

Level 3

10 (0.51%)

56 (1.52%)

 

Living in nursing home

Yes

159 (8.18%)

498 (13.39%)

Chi2 = 33.182, p < 0.0001***

No

1784 (91.82%)

3221 (86.61%)

 
  1. aStandardized classification of the level of nursing care in Germany, Significance codes: ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05