Difficult Medical-Encounters: Health Professionals in a Tertiary Hospital Perspective on the Geriatric Syndromes

Abstract

Given the necessity of multi disciplinary nature of care of older adults and the increasing surge in the number of geriatric syndromes with increasing age, it is imperative to examine health professionals' perspective on the geriatric syndromes. This study investigated the health professionals in a tertiary hospital perspective on the geriatric syndromes. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey of 74 health professionals involved in the comprehensive assessment of geriatric patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. All participants completed a 68-item questionnaire which sought information on participants' socio-demographic parameters, how challenging geriatric syndrome is, and risk factors associated with geriatric syndromes, and challenging traits of patients in the care of patients with geriatric syndromes.  Descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages summarized the collected data.  Almost all (>80%) physicians, nurses, and pharmacists perceived the geriatric syndrome of poly-pharmacy as challenging.  Also, almost all (>80%) of the physicians, nurses, and physiotherapists perceived the geriatric syndrome of pressure ulcer as challenging. Almost all (>80%) the dieticians perceived the geriatric syndromes of vertigo and failure to thrive as challenging in their clinical practice. More than one-third (>30%) of the health professionals perceived that poly-pharmacy; delirium, dementia, and depression are very challenging geriatric syndromes. In comparison (60%) of the health prof-essionals perceived that falls, malnutrition, sleeping problems, visual impairments, and gait disturbances are challenging geriatric syndromes seen in clinical practice.  Patient trait of being demanding was challenging for physicians, the aggressive, obsessive-compulsive, and limited compliance was challenging for nurses, physiotherapists, and pharmacists  Health professionals differ in their perspective in line with their professional roles which underscores the multidisciplinary nature of care for patients with geriatric syndromes.  Also, behaviuoral addendum to patient care can be beneficial to patients with geriatric syndromes.

Keywords: Difficult Medical-Encounter; Geriatric Syndromes; Health Professionals