Adequacy of Preparation and Importance of Geriatrics in a Sample of Primary Care Physicians

Abstract

In a mailed survey, 268 primary care physicians used a 5-point Likert scale to rate 23 items regarding geriatrics curriculum in terms of the quality of their postgraduate preparation on the topic and in terms of importance for their subsequent practice. All mean preparation ratings were lower than importance ratings. Mean ratings scores were ranked, and importance minus preparation rankings suggest areas where more geriatric education is needed. Results indicate geriatrics is perceived as an under emphasized component of postgraduate training in internal medicine and family practice residencies.