Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Effects of Mobility and Multimorbidity on Inpatient and Postacute Health Care Utilization
Kristine E Ensrud1,2,3, Li-Yung Lui4, Lisa Langsetmo2
1Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Background:
This study examines effects of mobility and multimorbidity on hospitalization and inpatient and postacute care (PAC) facility days among older men.
Methods:
Prospective study of 1,701 men (mean age 79.3 years) participating in Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study Year 7 (Y7) examination (2007-2008) linked with their Medicare claims. At Y7, mobility ascertained by usual gait speed and categorized as poor, intermediate, or good. Multimorbidity quantified by applying Elixhauser algorithm to inpatient and outpatient claims and categorized as none, mild-moderate, or high. Hospitalizations and PAC facility stays ascertained during 12 months following Y7.
Results:
Reduced mobility and greater multimorbidity burden were independently associated with a higher risk of inpatient and PAC facility utilization, after accounting for each other and traditional indicators. Adjusted mean total facility days per year were 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74-1.40) among men with good mobility increasing to 2.43 (95% CI = 1.17-3.84) among men with poor mobility, and 0.67 (95% CI = 0.38-0.91) among men without multimorbidity increasing to 2.70 (95% CI = 1.58-3.77) among men with high multimorbidity. Men with poor mobility and high multimorbidity had a ninefold increase in mean total facility days per year (5.50, 95% CI = 2.78-10.87) compared with men with good mobility without multimorbidity (0.59, 95% CI = 0.37-0.95).
Conclusions:
Among older men, mobility limitations and multimorbidity were independent predictors of higher inpatient and PAC utilization after considering each other and conventional predictors. Marked combined effects of reduced mobility and multimorbidity burden may be important to consider in clinical decision-making and planning health care delivery strategies for the growing aged population.
Insights
Reduced mobility and multimorbidity significantly increase healthcare utilization in older men. Poor mobility and high multimorbidity led to a ninefold increase in facility days compared to those with good mobility and no multimorbidity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Older men face significant health challenges, including mobility limitations and multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity).
- Understanding the impact of these factors on healthcare resource utilization is crucial for effective elder care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the independent and combined effects of mobility and multimorbidity on hospitalizations and postacute care (PAC) utilization in older men.
- To quantify the association between mobility status, multimorbidity burden, and healthcare facility days.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study of 1,701 older men (mean age 79.3 years) from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study.
- Mobility was assessed by gait speed; multimorbidity was quantified using the Elixhauser algorithm.
- Hospitalizations and PAC stays were tracked for 12 months post-examination, linked with Medicare claims.
Main Results:
- Both reduced mobility and increased multimorbidity were independently associated with higher inpatient and PAC utilization.
- Men with poor mobility had 2.43 mean facility days, while those with high multimorbidity had 2.70 mean facility days.
- Men with both poor mobility and high multimorbidity experienced a ninefold increase in mean total facility days (5.50) compared to those with good mobility and no multimorbidity (0.59).
Conclusions:
- Mobility limitations and multimorbidity are independent predictors of increased inpatient and PAC utilization in older men.
- The combined effect of reduced mobility and multimorbidity significantly impacts healthcare resource use.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering mobility and multimorbidity in clinical decision-making and healthcare planning for the aging population.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic...
01:29Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:19Restorative Care
01:17Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age