Educational needs of junior doctors caring for hospitalised older adults

Abstract

Background Junior doctors provide much of the day-to-day medical care for hospitalised older patients. However, there is little formal training after medical school to prepare them for the complex assessment and management required. This gap in postgraduate education raises concerns about preparedness and confidence, yet little research has examined junior doctors’ views on their learning needs, teaching preferences and factors affecting their education. Understanding these perspectives can inform targeted educational strategies to enhance care of older patients. Objective To explore junior doctors’ perspectives on learning needs in assessing and managing hospitalised older patients, preferred teaching methods and barriers and facilitators to learning. Methods A qualitative study was undertaken at two major teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were thematically analysed. Results Sixteen participants were recruited, which included 10 (63%) postgraduate Year 1 doctors, five (31%) Postgraduate Year 2 doctors and one final-year medical student. Five key themes on learning needs were identified: (i) assessment and management of delirium and dementia, (ii) polypharmacy and deprescribing, (iii) complexity of geriatric medicine, (iv) communication with older patients and their families and (v) Ward craft. Regarding learning methods, experiential learning and microlearning were preferred due to their practicality and immediate applicability. Barriers and facilitators included personal, workplace-specific and situational factors. Conclusion Junior doctors value ongoing education in geriatric medicine. Harnessing their learning needs and preferences offers an important opportunity to improve care for older patients.