Outpatient telephonic transitional care after hospital discharge improves survival in cirrhotic patients

Table 1 Comparison of baseline demographic and disease related characteristics between the groups

Factor	Total, n = 169	Intervention, n = 76	Control, n = 93	P value
Male	86 (50.9)	41 (53.9)	45 (48.4)	0.54
Age	58.2 ± 12.0	58.6 ± 11.4	57.9 ± 12.6	0.75
Etiology of cirrhosis
Alcohol	55 (32.5)	27 (35.5)	28 (30.1)
NAFLD	40 (23.7)	18 (23.7)	22 (23.7)
HCV	27 (16.0)	11 (14.5)	16 (17.2)
HBV	2 (1.2)	0	2 (2.2)	0.49
Combination of above	5 (3.0)	1 (1.3)	4 (4.3)
Others	40 (24.9)	19 (25.0)	21 (22.6)
MELD score during index admission	17.7 ± 7.9	17.8 ± 8.6	17.5 ± 7.3	0.88
Problems during initial hospitalization
HE	64 (37.9)	34 (44.7)	30 (32.3)	0.11
Infection	51 (30.2)	23 (30.3)	28 (30.1)	1
AKI	64 (37.9)	30 (39.5)	34 (36.6)	0.75
GIB	57 (33.7)	28 (36.8)	29 (31.2)	0.51
Index admission LOS, d	5 (3.0, 9.0)	6 (3.0, 10.5)	5 (4.0, 9.0)	0.95
Discharge destination				0.43
Home	100 (59.2)	41 (53.9)	59 (63.4)
Home with care	35 (20.7)	17 (22.4)	18 (19.4)
Skilled nursing facility	34 (20.1)	18 (23.7)	16 (17.2)
Follow up appointment provided prior to discharge	138 (82.9)	63 (82.9)	75 (80.6)	0.53
Came for appointment
Yes	59 (34.9)	27 (35.5)	32 (34.4)	0.98
No	63 (37.3)	29 (38.2)	34 (36.6)
No appointment provided	30 (17.8)	13 (17.1)	17 (18.3)
Admitted before appointment	16 (9.5)	7 (9.2)	9 (9.7)
Died before appointment	1 (0.6)	0	1 (1.1)
Duration between discharge and appointment	14 (7, 28)	14 (7, 28)	13 (9, 23)	0.79
Readmissions within
1 mo	63 (37.3)	28 (36.8)	35 (37.6)	1
3 mo	93 (55.0)	43 (56.6)	51 (54.8)	0.76
6 mo	107 (63.3)	49 (64.5)	58 (62.4)	0.87
Problems during initial readmission
HE	36 (21.3)	21 (42.9)	15 (26.0)	0.11
Infection	28 (16.6)	14 (28.6)	14 (24.1)	1
AKI	47 (27.8)	22 (44.9)	25 (43.1)	1
GIB	17 (10.1)	6 (12.2)	11 (19.0)	0.3
Time between discharge and readmit, d	24 (11, 66)	22 (11, 59)	23.5 (12, 57)	0.63
Readmission LOS, d	6 (3, 10)	5 (3, 8)	6 (4, 12)	0.06
Alive at
1 mo	156 (92.3)	72 (94.7)	84 (90.3)	0.39
3 mo	137 (81.1)	66 (86.8)	71 (76.3)	0.11
6 mo	128 (75.7)	64 (84.2)	64 (68.8)	0.031

Statistics presented as median (P25, P75) or n (column %).

¹P < 0.05 considered significant. HCV: Hepatitis C virus; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease; HE: Hepatic encephalopathy; AKI: Acute kidney injury; GIB: Gastrointestinal bleeding; LOS: Length of stay.