Background
Methods
Hypotheses
Measures
Statistical Analysis
Results
Respondents (N = 384) | Non-respondents (N = 2616) | |
---|---|---|
N (%) |
N (%) | |
Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics | ||
Female | 188 (49) | 1334 (51) |
Age ≥ 65 years | 211 (55) | 1040 (40) |
Lives alone (6)a
| 70 (18) | - |
Did not complete high school (15)a
| 246 (67) | - |
Born in English speaking country (17)a
| 144 (39) | - |
English spoken at home (1)a
| 290 (76) | - |
Currently employed (10)a
| 98 (26) | |
Receiving government benefits (17)a
| 245 (67) | - |
Private health insurance (23)a
| 111 (31) | - |
Hospital service use | ||
Admission planned | 50 (13) | 313 (12) |
Length of stay ≥ 7 days (2)a
| 61 (16) | 348 (13) |
≥ 2 admissions in last 12 months at this hospital (2)a
| 343 (90) | 2276 (87) |
Non-urgent ED presentations in last 12 months at this hospital (4)a
| 103 (27) | 680 (26) |
Reason for admission | ||
Maternity | 7 (2) | 189 (7) |
Gastrointestinal | 72 (19) | 657 (25) |
Cardiovascular | 72 (19) | 320 (12) |
Pulmonary | 45 (12) | 199 (8) |
Urinary | 18 (5) | 237 (9) |
Musculoskeletal | 46 (12) | 302 (12) |
Gynaecologic | 9 (2) | 61 (3) |
Cellulitis | 10 (3) | 79 (3) |
Cancer | 10 (3) | 82 (3) |
Diabetes | 15 (4) | 22 (1) |
Delirium | 15 (4) | 44 (2) |
All N = 384 | English N = 307 | Arabic N = 22 | Chinese N = 8 | Greek N = 18 | Italian N = 28 | Vietnamese N = 1 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean | |
Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) | |||||||
Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providersa
| 3.13 (0.57) | 3.17 (0.57) | 2.92 (0.50) | 3.06 (0.40) | 3.01 (0.33) | 2.91 (0.71) | 3.25 |
Having sufficient information to manage healtha
| 2.97 (0.52) | 2.98 (0.52) | 2.81 (0.52) | 2.91 (0.30) | 2.9 (0.27) | 2.98 (0.70) | 3.00 |
Actively managing my healtha
| 2.93 (0.52) | 2.93 (0.52) | 2.87 (0.53) | 2.95 (0.54) | 2.93 (0.34) | 3.05 (0.61) | 2.80 |
Social support for healtha
| 3.11 (0.55) | 3.12 (0.55) | 3.08 (0.46) | 2.93 (0.59) | 3.19 (0.43) | 3.06 (0.66) | 2.80 |
Appraisal of health informationa
| 2.82 (0.52) | 2.81 (0.52) | 2.93 (0.47) | 2.9 (0.44) | 2.89 (0.42) | 2.83 (0.67) | 3.00 |
Ability to actively engage with health care providersb
| 3.82 (0.78) | 3.93 (0.71) | 3.7 (0.64) | 3.43 (0.82) | 3.33 (0.95) | 3.21 (1.06) | 4.00 |
Navigating the healthcare systemb
| 3.63 (0.75) | 3.73 (0.69) | 3.46 (0.73) | 3.17 (0.79) | 2.97 (0.81) | 3.26 (1.02) | 4.00 |
Ability to find good health informationb
| 3.56 (0.80) | 3.67 (0.73) | 3.44 (0.77) | 3.33 (0.87) | 2.65 (0.99) | 3.14 (0.95) | 3.20 |
Reading and understanding health information enough to know what to dob
| 3.85 (0.78) | 3.97 (0.67) | 3.85 (0.72) | 3.28 (1.00) | 3.21 (0.89) | 3.19 (1.12) | 3.00 |
Hospital service use | |||||||
Length of stay, days | 4 (8) | 5 (9) | 4 (5) | 3 (2) | 5 (4) | 5 (5) | 1 |
Number of hospital admissions in the last 12 months at this hospital | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 1 (0) | 1 (0) | 1 (1) | 2 (1) | 1 |
Number of non-urgent ED presentations in the last 12 months at this hospital | 1 (4) | 1 (4) | 0 (1) | 0 (1) | 1 (1) | 1 (3) | 0 |
Self-reported presentation to ED in last 12 months (any hospital) | Length of stay ≥7 days | Two or more hospital admissions in last 12 months at this hospital | Two or more non-urgent ED presentations in last 12 months at this hospital | |
---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |
Age | ||||
< 65 years (n = 173) | 90 | 8a
|
18
a
| 10 |
≥ 65 years (N = 211) | 92 | 16a
|
33
a
| 13 |
Home living arrangement | ||||
Lives with others (N = 307) | 90 | 12 | 26 | 12 |
Lives alone (N = 70) | 97 | 16 | 24 | 13 |
Employment status | ||||
Currently employed (N = 113) | 91 | 7 |
17
a
| 11 |
Currently not working (unemployed/retired/ill) (N = 269) | 91 | 15 |
30
a
| 12 |
Education | ||||
Completed secondary education or higher (N = 133) | 93 | 13 | 28 | 11 |
Did not complete secondary education (N = 234) | 91 | 13 | 24 | 17 |
Economic status | ||||
Household income < $30,000 (N =149) | 93 | 15 |
31
a
|
17
a
|
Household income ≥ $30,000 (N =135) | 93 | 12 |
21
a
|
4
a
|
Receipt of means tested government benefits | ||||
No (N = 133) | 93 |
16
a
|
31
a
| 13 |
Yes (N = 234) | 90 |
8
a
|
17
a
| 8 |
Language in country of birth | ||||
English (Australia, New Zealand, Britain) (N = 219) |
96
a
| 11 | 26 | 12 |
Non-English (N = 138) |
81
a
| 15 | 27 | 13 |
Language spoken at home | ||||
English (N = 283) |
96
a
| 12 | 26 | 11 |
Another language (N = 90) |
78
a
| 14 | 26 | 13 |
Use of internet | ||||
At least once a month (N = 218) | 93 | 10 | 25 | 12 |
Less than once a month or not at all (N = 139) | 90 | 15 | 31 | 13 |
Private health insurance | ||||
No (N = 249) |
96
a
| 9 |
16
a
| 8 |
Yes (N = 110) |
89
a
| 14 |
30
a
| 13 |
Healthcare provider supporta
| Having sufficient informationa
| Actively managing healtha
| Social support for healtha
| Active appraisal of health informationa
| Active engagement with healthcareb
| Navigating the healthcare systemb
| Ability to find good health informationb
| Understanding health informationb
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| ||
Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics | ||||||||||
Sex | Female (N =187) | 3.13 | 2.94 | 2.88 | 3.06 | 2.84 | 3.82 | 3.62 | 3.59 | 3.88 |
(0.58) | (0.51) | (0.53) | (0.55) | (0.53) | (0.74) | (0.75) | (0.77) | (0.76) | ||
Male (N =194) | 3.12 | 2.99 | 2.98 | 3.16 | 2.80 | 3.82 | 3.65 | 3.53 | 3.82 | |
(0.55) | (0.52) | (0.51) | (0.54) | (0.51) | (0.82) | (0.75) | (0.82) | (0.80) | ||
Age, years | <65 (N= 166) | 3.06d
| 2.91d
|
2.87
d
|
3.01
d
| 2.84 | 3.77 | 3.59 |
3.66
d
| 3.93d
|
(0.62) | (0.55) |
(0.53)
|
(0.62)
| (0.48) | (0.79) | (0.75) |
(0.73)
| (0.69) | ||
≥65 (N= 216) | 3.18d
| 3.01d
|
2.98
d
|
3.18
d
| 2.80 | 3.86 | 3.67 |
3.48
d
| 3.78d
| |
(0.51) | (0.48) |
(0.51)
|
(0.46)
| (0.55) | (0.77) | (0.75) |
(0.84)
| (0.84) | ||
Lives alone | Yes (N= 70) | 3.17 | 2.97 | 2.99 | 2.99d
| 2.77 | 3.76 | 3.60 | 3.39d
| 3.71d
|
(0.54) | (0.57) | (0.59) | (0.60) | (0.57) | (0.81) | (0.85) | (0.91) | (0.84) | ||
No (N= 306) | 3.11 | 2.96 | 2.91 | 3.13d
| 2.82 | 3.83 | 3.63 | 3.59d
| 3.87d
| |
(0.57) | (0.50) | (0.50) | (0.53) | (0.50) | (0.77) | (0.73) | (0.77) | (0.76) | ||
Employed | Yes (N= 113) | 3.09 | 2.98 | 2.93 | 3.13 |
2.90
d
| 3.89 | 3.70 |
3.76
d
| 4.00d
|
(0.62) | (0.48) | (0.54) | (0.57) |
(0.49)
| (0.71) | (0.64) |
(0.67)
| (0.59) | ||
No (N= 268) | 3.15 | 2.96 | 2.94 | 3.09 |
2.79
d
| 3.80 | 3.61 |
3.47
d
| 3.79d
| |
(0.53) | (0.53) | (0.51) | (0.54) |
(0.53)
| (0.81) | (0.79) |
(0.84)
| (0.84) | ||
Completed secondary education or higher | Yes (N= 123) | 3.22d
| 3.02 | 2.97 | 3.16 |
2.89
d
|
3.97
d
| 3.70 |
3.74
d
|
4.08
d
|
(0.52) | (0.51) | (0.55) | (0.52) |
(0.50)
|
(0.67)
| (0.68) |
(0.68)
|
(0.62)
| ||
No (N= 245) | 3.08d
| 2.93 | 2.90 | 3.07 |
2.77
d
|
3.73
d
| 3.58 |
3.45
d
|
3.72
d
| |
(0.58) | (0.52) | (0.51) | (0.56) |
(0.51)
|
(0.83)
| (0.78) |
(0.83)
|
(0.83)
| ||
Household income < $30,000 | Yes (N= 149) | 3.10 | 2.92 | 2.94 | 3.06 | 2.82 |
3.73
d
| 3.54d
|
3.40
d
|
3.71
d
|
(0.62) | (0.58) | (0.54) | (0.62) | (0.56) |
(0.90)
| (0.86) |
(0.95)
|
(0.89)
| ||
No (N= 135) | 3.16 | 2.97 | 2.88 | 3.14 | 2.79 |
3.92
d
| 3.71d
|
3.66
d
|
4.02
d
| |
(0.49) | (0.48) | (0.51) | (0.48) | (0.47) |
(0.62)
| (0.61) |
(0.65)
|
(0.60)
| ||
Receiving means tested government benefits | Yes (N= 233) | 3.16 | 2.96 | 2.97 | 3.13 | 2.78d
| 3.81 | 3.62 |
3.46
d
|
3.77
d
|
(0.49) | (0.51) | (0.49) | (0.50) | (0.53) | (0.77) | (0.77) |
(0.84)
|
(0.82)
| ||
No (N =133) | 3.08 | 2.97 | 2.88 | 3.08 | 2.88d
| 3.84 | 3.64 |
3.72
d
|
3.97
d
| |
(0.63) | (0.52) | (0.53) | (0.59) | (0.47) | (0.77) | (0.72) |
(0.68)
|
(0.66)
| ||
English speaking country of birth | No (N= 223) |
3.19
d
| 2.99 | 2.94 | 3.13 | 2.83 | 3.95d
| 3.76d
|
3.75
e
|
4.05
e
|
(0.59)
| (0.52) | (0.53) | (0.57) | (0.52) | (0.72) | (0.69) |
(0.70)
|
(0.62)
| ||
Yes (N= 143) |
3.02
d
| 2.93 | 2.91 | 3.08 | 2.82 | 3.62d
| 3.44d
|
3.30
e
|
3.54
e
| |
(0.53
| (0.51) | (0.53) | (0.52) | (0.54) | (0.83) | (0.81) |
(0.87)
|
(0.90)
| ||
English spoken at home | No (N= 92) |
3.02
d
| 2.98 | 2.99 | 3.08 | 2.85 | 3.62d
| 3.33e
|
3.18
e
|
3.35
f
|
(0.47)
| (0.47) | (0.48) | (0.51) | (0.50) | (0.83) | (0.82) |
(0.87)
|
(0.93)
| ||
Yes (N= 290) |
3.15
d
| 2.96 | 2.91 | 3.11 | 2.81 | 3.95d
| 3.73e
|
3.68
e
|
4.01
f
| |
(0.59)
| (0.53) | (0.53) | (0.56) | (0.53) | (0.72) | (0.70) |
(0.73)
|
(0.65)
| ||
Internet use | Yes (N= 219) | 3.15 | 2.96 | 2.92 | 3.10 | 2.84 | 3.89d
| 3.69d
|
3.76
e
|
4.03
e
|
(0.57) | (0.48) | (0.53) | (0.56) | (0.47) | (0.72) | (0.70) |
(0.64)
|
(0.61)
| ||
Never/rarely (N= 142) | 3.08 | 2.96 | 2.92 | 3.11 | 2.76 | 3.69d
| 3.53d
|
3.26
e
|
3.55
e
| |
(0.56) | (0.58) | (0.53) | (0.54) | (0.59) | (0.87) | (0.83) |
(0.94)
|
(0.93)
| ||
Private health insurance | Yes (N= 110) | 3.14 | 3.03 | 2.95 | 3.15 | 2.87 | 3.88 | 3.69 | 3.63 | 3.90 |
(0.60) | (0.53) | (0.55) | (0.54) | (0.56) | (0.79) | (0.76) | (0.76) | (0.86) | ||
No (N= 249) | 3.13 | 2.95 | 2.93 | 3.10 | 2.81 | 3.81 | 3.62 | 3.54 | 3.84 | |
(0.55) | (0.51) | (0.51) | (0.55) | (0.49) | (0.77) | (0.75) | (0.81) | (0.74) |
n
| Healthcare provider supporta
| Having sufficient informationa
| Actively managing healtha
| Social support for healtha
| Active appraisal of health informationa
| Active engagement with healthcareb
| Navigating the healthcare systemb
| Ability to find good health informationb
| Understanding health informationb
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| Mean (ES)c
| ||
Self-reported non-urgent ED attendance last 12 months (any hospital) | Yes (N = 340) | 3.14d
| 2.97d
| 2.94d
| 3.12d
| 2.82 |
3.84
d
|
3.65
d
| 3.56 | 3.85d
|
(0.57) | (0.52) | (0.52) | (0.55) | (0.52) |
(0.78)
|
(0.74)
| (0.80) | (0.78) | ||
No (N = 32) | 2.97d
| 2.84d
| 2.80d
| 2.98d
| 2.80 |
3.56
d
|
3.32
d
| 3.45 | 3.70d
| |
(0.10) | (0.48) | (0.55) | (0.47) | (0.56) |
(0.81)
|
(0.79)
| (0.80) | (0.78) | ||
Length of stay <7 days | Yes (N = 332) | 3.13 | 2.98d
| 2.94 | 3.11 | 2.82 | 3.82 | 3.63 | 3.57 | 3.86 |
(0.56) | (0.51) | (0.52) | (0.54) | (0.51) | (0.79) | (0.77) | (0.80) | (0.78) | ||
No (N = 48) | 3.09 | 2.86d
| 2.88 | 3.07 | 2.80 | 3.79 | 3.63 | 3.48 | 3.72 | |
(0.62) | (0.53) | (0.53) | (0.61) | (0.58) | (0.72) | (0.64) | (0.82) | (0.75) | ||
≥3 admissions in last 12 months in this hospital | Yes (N = 28) |
3.38
d
| 3.11d
| 3.09d
|
3.30
d
| 2.85 | 3.88 | 3.64 | 3.46 | 3.88 |
(0.48)
| (0.55) | (0.42) |
(0.58)
| (0.56) | (0.72) | (0.82) | (0.78) | (0.70) | ||
No (N = 350) |
3.11
d
| 2.95d
| 2.92d
|
3.09
d
| 2.82 | 3.81 | 3.63 | 3.56 | 3.84 | |
(0.57)
| (0.51) | (0.53) |
(0.54)
| (0.52) | (0.78) | (0.75) | (0.80) | (0.79) | ||
≥2 non-urgent ED presentations in last 12 months in this hospital | Yes (N = 45) | 3.10 | 3.02 | 3.02d
| 3.19 | 2.88 | 3.72 | 3.59 | 3.48 | 3.81 |
(0.64) | (0.61) | (0.59) | (0.65) | (0.60) | (0.90) | (0.89) | (0.98) | (0.89) | ||
No (N = 334) | 3.13 | 2.96 | 2.92d
| 3.10 | 2.81 | 3.83 | 3.63 | 3.56 | 3.85 | |
(0.56) | (0.50) | (0.51) | (0.53) | (0.51) | (0.76) | (0.73) | (0.77) | (0.77) |