Skip to main content

Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Purser, JL; Weinberger, M; Cohen, HJ; Pieper, CF; Morey, MC; Li, T; Williams, GR; Lapuerta, P
Published in: J Rehabil Res Dev
2005

This study evaluated the use of walking speed as an indicator of function and health status in acutely ill, hospitalized, older male veterans. Hospital inpatients in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study of Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) (n = 1,388, age 74.2 +/- 5.7, 98% male) were followed for 1 year. The results indicate that each 0.10 m/s reduction in baseline walking speed was associated with poorer health status (36-item short form [SF-36] beta = 4.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8 to 6.1]), poorer physical functioning (beta = 2.1 [6.9 to 14.8]), more disabilities (beta = 0.63 [0.53 to 0.73]), additional rehabilitation visits (2.0 [1.4 to 2.5]), increased medical-surgical visits (2.8 [1.9 to 3.7]), longer hospital stays (2.2 [1.4 to 2.9]), and higher costs ($1,334 [$869 to $1,798]). In addition, each 0.10 m/ s/yr increase in walking speed resulted in improved health status (SF-36 beta = 8.4 [6.0 to 10.7]), improved physical function (beta = 2.9 [2.5 to 3.3]), fewer basic disabilities (0.30 [0.2 to 0.4]), fewer instrumental disabilities (0.7 [0.6 to 0.8]), fewer hospitalization days (2.3 [1.3 to 3.3]), and 1-year cost reductions of $1,188 [-$65 to $2,442]. Walking speed is useful for the functional assessment of acutely ill, hospitalized older adults. Measurement of walking speed over time may help predict those who will need and use more health-related services.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Rehabil Res Dev

DOI

EISSN

1938-1352

Publication Date

2005

Volume

42

Issue

4

Start / End Page

535 / 546

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Walking
  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Rehabilitation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Hospital Costs
  • Health Status
  • Gait
  • Frail Elderly
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Purser, J. L., Weinberger, M., Cohen, H. J., Pieper, C. F., Morey, M. C., Li, T., … Lapuerta, P. (2005). Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev, 42(4), 535–546. https://doi.org/10.1682/jrrd.2004.07.0087
Purser, Jama L., Morris Weinberger, Harvey J. Cohen, Carl F. Pieper, Miriam C. Morey, Tracy Li, G Rhys Williams, and Pablo Lapuerta. “Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans.J Rehabil Res Dev 42, no. 4 (2005): 535–46. https://doi.org/10.1682/jrrd.2004.07.0087.
Purser JL, Weinberger M, Cohen HJ, Pieper CF, Morey MC, Li T, et al. Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2005;42(4):535–46.
Purser, Jama L., et al. “Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans.J Rehabil Res Dev, vol. 42, no. 4, 2005, pp. 535–46. Pubmed, doi:10.1682/jrrd.2004.07.0087.
Purser JL, Weinberger M, Cohen HJ, Pieper CF, Morey MC, Li T, Williams GR, Lapuerta P. Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2005;42(4):535–546.

Published In

J Rehabil Res Dev

DOI

EISSN

1938-1352

Publication Date

2005

Volume

42

Issue

4

Start / End Page

535 / 546

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Walking
  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Rehabilitation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Hospital Costs
  • Health Status
  • Gait
  • Frail Elderly