Table 1 Characteristics of the study groups after propensity score matching before admission

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS

Age (years), mean (SD)*

72.71 (16.30)

73.94 (16.01)

0.259

Gender (male), n (%)*

250 (56.69)

262 (59.41)

0.412

USE OF HEALTH CARE RESOURCES

Hospital resources in previous 12 months

Rate of all-cause emergency room visit, mean (SD)

1.63 (1.04)

1.75 (1.26)

0.829

Rate of all-cause Hospital admissions, mean (SD)*

1.66 (1.22)

1.62 (1.30)

0.786

Rate of planned admissions, mean (SD)

1.37 (0.72)

1.40 (0.87)

0.832

Last visit (days) to outpatient clinic before admission, mean (SD)

85.98 (91.96)

91.39 (94.39)

0.522

Last hospitalisation (days) before admission, mean (SD)

192.16 (108.75)

175.22 (126.70)

0.262

Length of stay in days (total days per year), mean (total)

11.48 (1,538)

11.49 (1,333)

0.786

Intensive care unit stays, n (%)

19 (8.50)

18 (9.60)

0.547

Outpatient visits, mean (SD)

5.99 (7.19)

5.45 (5.69)

0.357

Hospital resources in previous 7 days

Outpatient visits, mean (SD)

1.11 (0.42)

1.14 (0.42)

0.765

Healthcare costs across tiers in previous year

€ per year, mean (SD)*

5,627 (8,119)

6,543 (6,869)

0.070

MULTIMORBIDITY & SEVERITY

AMG scoring, mean (SD)*

24.94 (15.17)

25.09 (14.51)

0.884

AMG category, n (%)

Tier 1 < P₅₀

6 (1.4)

8 (1.8)

0.798

Tier 2 [P₅₀ - P₈₀)

31 (7.0)

30 (6.8)

0.988

Tier 3 [P₈₀-P₉₅)

97 (22.0)

69 (15.7)

0.019

Tier 4 [P₉₅-P₉₉)

83 (18.8)

117 (26.5)

0.005

Tier 5 ≥ P₉₉

224 (50.8)

217 (49.2)

0.689

Statistics to assess matching

Rubin’s B

0.2

Rubin’s R

1.2