The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students’ attitudes towards older adults: implications for the future of geriatric medicine

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Abstract

Background: COVID-19 has caused significant upheaval in medical education. Ageism has profound adverse effects on the healthcare of older people and on the recruitment of geriatricians. It is unclear what effect the pandemic, with its focus on older vulnerable adults, may have had on students’ attitudes to this population. We have used mixed methods to explore whether the COVID-19 pandemic has had a positive, negative or no change on medical students’ attitudes towards older people.
Methods: 2020 marked the final year of Bristol Medical School’s MB16 curriculum, which was replaced with MB21. Whilst MB16 included just 4 weeks, MB21 involves an 18-week attachment in geriatrics. Two groups of students (5th year MB16, 4th year MB21) undergoing these different curricula were invited to participate in an online questionnaire study after their geriatrics attachments, collecting demographic and attitudinal information. We examined descriptive data and undertook multivariable logistic regression analysis to look at predictors of a positive attitude change. 12 students volunteered to participate in qualitative focus groups, of which anonymised transcripts were analysed using a framework approach.
Results: 284 students responded to our survey: 115 MB16 and 169 MB21 (43% and 79% response rate respectively). One third answered that the COVID-19 pandemic had made them feel more positively towards older adults. In univariable analysis the only predictors were curriculum type, student age and survey timing. MB21 students were over twice as likely to report a positive change in attitude towards older people than MB16 students after adjustment for age and timing (OR 2.40, 95%CI 1.24-4.63, p=0.009). The main qualitative themes are that young people felt a duty to protect vulnerable older people during the pandemic. They also spoke of an increased awareness of aging and life for older people, particularly the experience of loneliness during coronavirus lockdowns.
Conclusions: The most notable difference between MB16 and MB21 is an expansion in time dedicated to geriatric medicine during 4th year. Our work joins the growing body of evidence showing that quality undergraduate education in geriatric medicine can positively influence medical students’ attitudes towards older adults, even during a global pandemic.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 12 May 2022
EventAmerican Geriatrics Society 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting - Orlando, United States
Duration: 12 May 202214 May 2022
https://meeting.americangeriatrics.org/

Conference

ConferenceAmerican Geriatrics Society 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting
Abbreviated titleAGS ASM22
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando
Period12/05/2214/05/22
Internet address

Research Groups and Themes

  • Ageing and Movement Research Group

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