Abstract
The global trend towards an increasing aging population demands for adequate geriatric medical care services to cater for health needs of the aging population seeking clinical care in hospitals. In Uganda, geriatric care as a specialty in medicine is still at infancy stage, and this is further worsened by the fact that the current curricula followed in training health workers lacks a component dedicated to elderly care. There is therefore need to assess knowledge, attitudes and treatment practices of medical doctors towards clinical care for elderly persons.
Highlights
The number of elderly persons is growing faster than the number of persons in the younger age group, and it is expected that between 2017 and 2050, virtually every country in the world will experience a substantial increase in the population size of persons aged over 60 years
Among the 110 respondents, 73 (66.4%) medical doctors had suboptimal knowledge on clinical care of elderly patients, majority of medical doctors demonstrated a positive attitude towards care of elderly persons and over threequarters 82 (74.5%) of medical doctors did not routinely observe recommended treatment practices when caring for elderly patients
Factors found to be significantly associated with knowledge on clinical care of elderly persons were level of education of medical doctors and frequency of refresher trainings on geriatric care
Summary
The number of elderly persons is growing faster than the number of persons in the younger age group, and it is expected that between 2017 and 2050, virtually every country in the world will experience a substantial increase in the population size of persons aged over 60 years. Current UBOS statistics estimate a total number of persons aged over 60 years to be 1.43 million persons (4.8% of the population) and it’s expected to rise further to a projected 10.5 million elderly persons come 2030 [4] This population increase directly impacts on health delivery systems especially in terms of human resources to cater for increased healthcare needs for elderly persons seeking healthcare [5]. There is need to assess knowledge, attitudes and treatment practices of medical doctors towards clinical care for elderly persons
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