The Care of Elderly Patients by Elderly Physicians

To examine the content of care that elderly patients receive from physicians greater than or equal to 65 years of age, data from the 1981 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. Compared to physicians aged 35 to 54 years, elderly physicians devoted a larger proportion of their practices to the care of elderly patients. In caring for these patients, elderly physicians spent more time per visit than did younger physicians and were more likely to conduct general examinations and provide counseling. In contrast, elderly physicians were less likely to perform mental status or vision examinations. Elderly physicians were also less likely to provide telephone follow-up for those patients greater than or equal to 75 years of age and more likely to discharge patients greater than or equal to 65 years of age without any specific follow-up planned. These data suggest that the content of care for elderly patients may differ substantially depending upon the physician's age.