title: Medical students' and doctors' attitudes towards older patients and their care in hospital settings: a conceptualisation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  despite assertions in reports from governmental and charitable bodies that negative staff attitudes towards older patients may contribute to inequitable healthcare provision for older patients when compared with younger patients (those aged under 65 years), the research literature does not describe these attitudes in any detail.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  this study explored and conceptualised attitudes towards older patients using in-depth interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  twenty-five semi-structured interviews with medical students and hospital-based doctors in a UK acute teaching hospital were conducted. Participants were asked about their beliefs, emotions and behavioural tendencies towards older patients, in line with the psychological literature on the definition of attitudes (affective, cognitive and behavioural information). Data were analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  attitudes towards older patients and their care could be conceptualised under the headings: (i) beliefs about older patients; (ii) older patients' unique needs and the skills required to care for them and (iii) emotions and satisfaction with caring for older patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our findings outlined common beliefs and stereotypes specific to older patients, as opposed to older people in general. Older patients had unique needs concerning their healthcare. Participants typically described negative emotions about caring for older patients, but the sources of dissatisfaction largely related to the organisational setting and system in which the care is delivered to these patients. This study marks one of the first in-depth attempts to explore attitudes towards older patients in UK hospital settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rajvinder
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Samra
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, University of Nottingham, School of Medicine, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Working Life, School of Business, Economics & Informatics, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conroy
authors.affiliation: Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing, University of Nottingham, School of Medicine, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing, University of Nottingham, School of Medicine, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: John R F
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gladman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D063506:Ageism; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D004644:Emotions; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D013240:Stereotyping; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: UK; attitudes; interview study; older patients; older people; physicians