Provider–Patient Interaction: Exploring Elderspeak in Simulated Preclinical Chiropractic Student Encounters

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify whether or not elderspeak was evident in simulated provider–patient encounters in a chiropractic education program. This study was designed to answer the following three research questions (RQs): RQ 1: Is elderspeak present in simulated patient encounters in a chiropractic education program? RQ 2: If elderspeak is present, which categorization of elderspeak is most frequently used during simulated patient encounters? RQ 3: If elderspeak is present, is gender an influencing variable? Method: The presence of elderspeak in simulated chiropractic encounters was studied using a cross-sectional mixed methods observational research design. Results: A total of 331 occurrences of elderspeak were identified in 60 digitized recordings. The most common form of elderspeak was collective pronoun usage. Conclusion: Results indicated that the chiropractic industry is susceptible to elderspeak. Understanding elderspeak is important to prevent future ageist behaviors from affecting older adult patients and to improve their health outcomes.