The Physician-Elderly Patient-Companion Triad in the Medical Encounter: The Development of a Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda

One characteristic which distinguishes the physician-geriatric patient medical encounter is that often the elderly patient is accompanied to the visit by a third person. Discussed is the literature on the physician-elderly patient-companion triad and proposed is a conceptual framework and methodological approach for understanding the third person's presence during the geriatric visit. Then, an agenda for both clinical and social science research is suggested.