Comparison of long-term healthcare use among older adults with disabilities following hospitalization for COVID-19, sepsis, or influenza: a population-based cohort study
{"title":"Comparison of long-term healthcare use among older adults with disabilities following hospitalization for COVID-19, sepsis, or influenza: a population-based cohort study","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2024.100910","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>People with disabilities are at elevated risk of adverse short-term outcomes following hospitalization for acute infectious illness. No prior studies have compared long-term healthcare use among this high-risk population. We compared the healthcare use of adults with disabilities in the one year following hospitalization for COVID-19 vs. sepsis vs. influenza.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We performed a population-based cohort study using linked clinical and health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada of all adults with pre-existing disability (physical, sensory, or intellectual) hospitalized for COVID-19 (n = 22,551, median age 69 [IQR 57–79], 47.9% female) or sepsis (n = 100,669, median age 77 [IQR 66–85], 54.8% female) between January 25, 2020, and February 28, 2022, and for influenza (n = 11,216, median age 78 [IQR 67–86], 54% female) or sepsis (n = 49,326, median age 72 [IQR 62–82], 45.8% female) between January 1, 2014 and March 25, 2019. The exposure was hospitalization for laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, or sepsis (not secondary to COVID-19 or influenza). Outcomes were ambulatory care visits, diagnostic testing, emergency department visits, hospitalization, palliative care visits and death within 1 year. Rates of these outcomes were compared across exposure groups using propensity-based overlap weighted Poisson and Cox proportional hazards models.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Among older adults with pre-existing disability, hospitalization for COVID-19 was associated with lower rates of ambulatory care visits (adjusted rate ratio (aRR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87–0.90), diagnostic testing (aRR 0.86, 95% CI, 0.84–0.89), emergency department visits (aRR 0.91, 95% CI, 0.84–0.97), hospitalization (aRR 0.74, 95% CI, 0.71–0.77), palliative care visits (aRR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.62–0.81) and low hazards of death (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.71, 95% 0.68–0.75), compared to hospitalization for sepsis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of healthcare use among those hospitalized for COVID-19 varied compared to those hospitalized for influenza or sepsis prior to the pandemic.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>This study of older adults with pre-existing disabilities hospitalized for acute infectious illness found that COVID-19 was not associated with higher rates of healthcare use or mortality over the one year following hospital discharge compared to those hospitalized for sepsis. However, hospitalization for COVID-19 was associated with higher rates of ambulatory care use and mortality when compared to influenza. As COVID-19 enters an endemic phase, the associated long-term health resource use and risks in the contemporary era are reassuringly similar to sepsis and influenza, even among people with pre-existing disabilities.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>This study was supported by <span>ICES</span>, which is funded by an annual grant from the <span>Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care</span>. This study also received funding from the <span>Canadian Institutes of Health Research</span> (CIHR GA4-177772).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X24002370","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
People with disabilities are at elevated risk of adverse short-term outcomes following hospitalization for acute infectious illness. No prior studies have compared long-term healthcare use among this high-risk population. We compared the healthcare use of adults with disabilities in the one year following hospitalization for COVID-19 vs. sepsis vs. influenza.
Methods
We performed a population-based cohort study using linked clinical and health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada of all adults with pre-existing disability (physical, sensory, or intellectual) hospitalized for COVID-19 (n = 22,551, median age 69 [IQR 57–79], 47.9% female) or sepsis (n = 100,669, median age 77 [IQR 66–85], 54.8% female) between January 25, 2020, and February 28, 2022, and for influenza (n = 11,216, median age 78 [IQR 67–86], 54% female) or sepsis (n = 49,326, median age 72 [IQR 62–82], 45.8% female) between January 1, 2014 and March 25, 2019. The exposure was hospitalization for laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, or sepsis (not secondary to COVID-19 or influenza). Outcomes were ambulatory care visits, diagnostic testing, emergency department visits, hospitalization, palliative care visits and death within 1 year. Rates of these outcomes were compared across exposure groups using propensity-based overlap weighted Poisson and Cox proportional hazards models.
Findings
Among older adults with pre-existing disability, hospitalization for COVID-19 was associated with lower rates of ambulatory care visits (adjusted rate ratio (aRR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87–0.90), diagnostic testing (aRR 0.86, 95% CI, 0.84–0.89), emergency department visits (aRR 0.91, 95% CI, 0.84–0.97), hospitalization (aRR 0.74, 95% CI, 0.71–0.77), palliative care visits (aRR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.62–0.81) and low hazards of death (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.71, 95% 0.68–0.75), compared to hospitalization for sepsis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of healthcare use among those hospitalized for COVID-19 varied compared to those hospitalized for influenza or sepsis prior to the pandemic.
Interpretation
This study of older adults with pre-existing disabilities hospitalized for acute infectious illness found that COVID-19 was not associated with higher rates of healthcare use or mortality over the one year following hospital discharge compared to those hospitalized for sepsis. However, hospitalization for COVID-19 was associated with higher rates of ambulatory care use and mortality when compared to influenza. As COVID-19 enters an endemic phase, the associated long-term health resource use and risks in the contemporary era are reassuringly similar to sepsis and influenza, even among people with pre-existing disabilities.
Funding
This study was supported by ICES, which is funded by an annual grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care. This study also received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR GA4-177772).
期刊介绍:
The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, an open-access journal, contributes to The Lancet's global initiative by focusing on health-care quality and access in the Americas. It aims to advance clinical practice and health policy in the region, promoting better health outcomes. The journal publishes high-quality original research advocating change or shedding light on clinical practice and health policy. It welcomes submissions on various regional health topics, including infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, child and adolescent health, maternal and reproductive health, emergency care, health policy, and health equity.