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PHYSICIAN ATTITUDE TOWARD THE ELDERLY
Abstract
The problem of this research was to measure physician attitudes toward the elderly by having a randomly selected group of Nebraska physicians complete Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (OPS). The mean score obtained on this instrument was then compared to the factors of urban versus rural location of practice; age; sex; number of geriatric medical training exposures, both clinical and classroom completed by the physician; and physician speciality. A relationship between the OPS score and these factors was investigated utilizing the statistical test of analysis of variance. (1) The factors of urban versus rural location of practice; age, sex; number of geriatric medical training exposures, both clinical and classroom; and physician speciality had no significant effect on physicians' attitudes toward the elderly when those attitudes were measured by Kogan's OPS. (2) The majority of physicians involved in this study, or at least 60%, felt most comfortable helping their elderly patients with the following psychosocial needs: fear of institutionalization; depression due to gradual loss of health; and depression due to chronic health problems. (3) There were no psychosocial needs as listed in the survey questionnaire that 60% of the surveyed physicians felt least comfortable helping their elderly patients alleviate. (4) The following psychosocial needs were not found to be those which physicians felt most comfortable alleviating: fear of death; stage in life depression; marital problems; loss of sexual expression; loss of spouse; and loneliness. Yet stage in life depression; loss of sexual expression; and loneliness are psychosocial needs most exhibited by physicians' elderly patients.
Subject Area
Gerontology
Recommended Citation
CAUDILL, NANCY GRAY HICKS, "PHYSICIAN ATTITUDE TOWARD THE ELDERLY" (1983). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8412297.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8412297