Identification of normal aging and disease-related processes by health care professionals.
A 40-item quiz on aging was given to 46 health care professionals, before they participated in a workshop dealing with the care of the elderly patient. In the quiz, they were asked to identify physiologic and functional conditions either as normal aging processes or disease-related processes. In general the results indicated that disease processes were the easier entities to identify, and that the workshop experience enhanced this effect. Ability to identify functional disorders correctly did not differ significantly from the ability to identify physiologic symptoms correctly. Implications for the general health and the mental health of older adults are discussed.
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003933:Diagnosis; D004194:Disease; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006281:Health Occupations; D006801:Humans