National profile of the growing population of older adults who access community health centers.
Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Geriatrics
Health Services Accessibility
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Medicaid
/ statistics & numerical data
Medically Underserved Area
Medicare
/ statistics & numerical data
Multiple Chronic Conditions
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
/ statistics & numerical data
Safety-net Providers
United States
functional status
geriatrics
primary care
Journal
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
ISSN: 1532-5415
Titre abrégé: J Am Geriatr Soc
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 7503062
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
06 2021
06 2021
Historique:
revised:
25
01
2021
received:
30
10
2020
accepted:
06
02
2021
pubmed:
7
3
2021
medline:
7
10
2021
entrez:
6
3
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Community health centers (CHCs) are federally funded safety-net clinics that provide care to low income and medically underserved persons. The proportion of CHC patients aged ≥65 doubled in the last ten years, yet little is known about this population. We aim to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of the older adult CHC population. Cross sectional analysis. The nationally representative 2014 Health Center Patient Survey. CHC patients ≥55 years. We used descriptive statistics to characterize older adults across demographic and clinical variables. To determine differences by age, we stratified into three groups (55-64, 65-74, 75+ years). We used t-tests and chi-squared to calculate p values and survey weights to make national estimates. We included 1875 older adults ≥55 years, representing over 4.2 million people. Older adults were mostly aged 55-64 (60%), female (51%), and white (60%). The majority (73%) had Medicare or Medicaid and 47% reported fair or poor health. Regardless of age, older adults had an average of three chronic conditions and 0.6 impairments in activities of daily living (ADL). Healthcare utilization was not significantly different across age groups with most taking ≥5 prescription medications (54%) and one in five reporting ≥2 emergency department visits or ≥1 hospitalization in the last year. Adults 55-64 who attend CHCs have similar disease burden as adults ≥65. As the population of older adults who access CHCs grow, our findings highlight the opportunity to enhance focus on key principles of geriatric medicine, such as measurement of functional impairment for those who are <65 while also addressing underlying health disparities.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Community health centers (CHCs) are federally funded safety-net clinics that provide care to low income and medically underserved persons. The proportion of CHC patients aged ≥65 doubled in the last ten years, yet little is known about this population. We aim to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of the older adult CHC population.
DESIGN
Cross sectional analysis.
SETTING
The nationally representative 2014 Health Center Patient Survey.
PARTICIPANTS
CHC patients ≥55 years.
MEASURES
We used descriptive statistics to characterize older adults across demographic and clinical variables. To determine differences by age, we stratified into three groups (55-64, 65-74, 75+ years). We used t-tests and chi-squared to calculate p values and survey weights to make national estimates.
RESULTS
We included 1875 older adults ≥55 years, representing over 4.2 million people. Older adults were mostly aged 55-64 (60%), female (51%), and white (60%). The majority (73%) had Medicare or Medicaid and 47% reported fair or poor health. Regardless of age, older adults had an average of three chronic conditions and 0.6 impairments in activities of daily living (ADL). Healthcare utilization was not significantly different across age groups with most taking ≥5 prescription medications (54%) and one in five reporting ≥2 emergency department visits or ≥1 hospitalization in the last year.
CONCLUSIONS
Adults 55-64 who attend CHCs have similar disease burden as adults ≥65. As the population of older adults who access CHCs grow, our findings highlight the opportunity to enhance focus on key principles of geriatric medicine, such as measurement of functional impairment for those who are <65 while also addressing underlying health disparities.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33675077
doi: 10.1111/jgs.17088
pmc: PMC8195311
mid: NIHMS1704516
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1592-1600Subventions
Organisme : NIA NIH HHS
ID : K24AG056578
Pays : United States
Organisme : HRSA HHS
ID : U1QHP2870
Pays : United States
Organisme : NIA NIH HHS
ID : L30 AG064736
Pays : United States
Organisme : NIA NIH HHS
ID : R03 AG060170
Pays : United States
Organisme : NIA NIH HHS
ID : K24 AG056578
Pays : United States
Organisme : NIA NIH HHS
ID : R03AG060170
Pays : United States
Informations de copyright
© 2021 The American Geriatrics Society.
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