Patient selection: adult > 65 years of age with gastrointestinal cancer
Reasons for admission included:
(1) intestinal obstruction
(2) fluid or electrolyte disorder
(3) pneumonia
(4) heart failure
(5) complication of care
(6) other infections
(7) COPD
(8) GI hemorrhage
Risk factors for unplanned hospitalization:
(1) age >= 75 years of age
(2) cancer of the upper GI tract (esophagus, stomach, pancreas)
(3) Black race
(4) poor (based on neighborhood or eligible for Medicaid in addition to Medicare)
(5) advanced stage (distant or regional metastases)
(6) high Charlson comorbidity index (>= 3 greater than 1-2, 1-2 greater than 0)
where:
• The maximum hazard ratio was 1.5, with most in range 1.1 to 1.2. Several risk factors need to be present to be predictive.
