Preparedness to care for older hospital in-patients: An exploratory survey-based study of medical interns

Few studies have addressed how well prepared interns feel to manage older persons, and what aspects of their learning and teaching have facilitated this. We explored medical interns' self-assessed preparedness for dealing with older hospital in-patients, using an online survey. Response rate was 36.8% (21/57), with graduates from 7 universities and 11/21 female. Asked 'How prepared have you felt for managing older patients in hospital?', median Likert score (1-5) was 3. However, 19/21 felt able to manage the last older patient seen. Self-assessed preparedness to manage different aspects of aged care varied. 'Real-life experience on the wards' (19/21) was the favored teaching tool. Identification of such self-assessed gaps will better inform teaching of aged care to medical students and junior doctors.

Automated summary

This study investigated the preparedness of medical interns in dealing with older in-patients through an online survey. The results showed that most interns felt moderately prepared in managing older patients, but they generally felt confident in managing the last older patient they encountered. There were variations in the self-assessed preparedness for different aspects of aged care, and 'real-life experience on the wards' was considered the favored teaching tool. Identifying these gaps in self-assessment will provide valuable insights for teaching aged care to medical students and junior doctors.