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Table 5 Power law scaling parameter (alpha) by minimum value of contacts included in analysis in subgroups of patients split by sex and by median age

From: Do healthcare services behave as complex systems? Analysis of patterns of attendance and implications for service delivery

Inclusion

Subgroup

Minimum number of contacts per individual for inclusion

Minimum 3 contacts

Minimum 5 contacts

Alpha

95% CI

Alpha

95% CI

 

Younger male

3.35

3.28–3.41

3.05

2.94–to 3.16

All patients

Younger female

3.42

3.38–3.46

3.29

3.21–3.38

 

Older male

3.13

3.09–3.17

3.31

3.22–3.39

 

Older female

3.19

3.15–3.22

3.24

3.17–3.31

Patients with first contact after 14th day

Younger male

3.60

3.52–3.67

3.42

3.28–3.57

Younger female

3.62

3.57–3.67

3.65

3.55–3.75

Older male

3.30

3.26–3.35

3.64

3.54–3.74

Older female

3.37

3.34–3.41

3.58

3.50–3.67

  1. Alpha: scaling parameter of the power law probability distribution p(x) xα
  2. 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived by non-parametric bootstrapping with 1000 iterations