Chronic patients at home. A descriptive and survival analysis at 2 years after the introduction of a home care program

To describe the group of chronic patients cared for at home and the frequency of visits, and to analyse their survival at two years. A longitudinal, descriptive study. Raval Nord Health District, Barcelona. All the 646 patients registered as chronically ill at home during the first two years of a programme of home care (May 1994 to 1996). First, a descriptive analysis of the main characteristics of this population group was made, which showed that 66.6% were women and that its average age was 81 (SD, 11 years). Less autonomy meant a greater number of visits (p < 0.0001), both by the doctor and nursing staff. Nursing visits were mainly to attend bed-sores and Diabetes Mellitus. Loneliness was the greatest underlying reason for social workers' visits. This was a very aged population group, with high mortality and requiring on-going home care. Autonomy was a good predictor both of the frequency of visits and of these patients' survival time.