Abstract

There are increasing expectations on primary care doctors to shoulder a bigger share of care for patients with common geriatric problems in the community. This study aims to examine the outcomes of a postgraduate training course in geriatrics for primary care doctors. A questionnaire developed by the research team was sent to the course graduates (years 2001–2007). Ninety-eight replies were received with a response rate of 52.4% (98/187). Difference in the ratings by the respondents before and after taking the course was analyzed using the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test. Most respondents felt more rewarding and had participated more in geriatric care, and the majority had improvement in their communication skills with elderly patients after taking the course. Moreover, the graduates are more confident in diagnosing and managing common geriatric problems, and deciding to which specialty to refer the elderly patients. Of the referrals, there was a significant increase to private geriatricians and a significant reduction to other specialists. The average number of elderly patients seen per day had also increased. However, little change was observed about making nursing home visits, the frequency of which remained low. Many graduates expressed difficulties in conducting nursing home visits.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.