Biomaterial Database

Family practice physicians' perceptions and practices regarding health promotion for the elderly. 1988

J H Price, and S M Desmond, and D P Losh, and R A Krol

Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance, University of Toledo, Ohio 43606.

This study assessed 321 family practice physicians' perceptions and practices regarding health promotion in the elderly; specifically, whether health promotion is perceived to be beneficial for this segment of the population. A random sample of 250 male and 250 female members of the American Academy of Family Physicians was surveyed. The internal reliability of the questionnaire was assessed, yielding a Cronbach alpha of .84. Respondents were 46% male and 54% female, and 67% of them had completed a residency program. Three-fourths (77%) of the respondents were between 25 and 50 years of age. The majority believed that health promotion counseling is of value to patients of all ages (88%) and that medical schools should devote more attention to preventive medicine (69%). These physicians identified lack of third-party payment, lack of sufficient staff, lack of competence in prescribing prevention programs for the elderly, and finding counseling the elderly about preventive health issues not professionally gratifying as barriers to health promotion of the elderly. All health promotion practices but one listed on the questionnaire were perceived as important by at least half the physicians. Until compensation for health promotion is available and physicians perceive themselves as competent concerning health promotion in the elderly, it is likely their clinical practices and recommendations will lag behind their favorable attitudes toward the topic.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007349	Insurance, Health, Reimbursement	Payment by a third-party payer in a sum equal to the amount expended by a health care provider or facility for health services rendered to an insured or program beneficiary. (From Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care Management, 1988)	Health Insurance Reimbursement,Reimbursement, Health Insurance,Third-Party Payments,Third-Party Payers,Health Insurance Reimbursements,Insurance Reimbursement, Health,Insurance Reimbursements, Health,Payer, Third-Party,Payers, Third-Party,Payment, Third-Party,Payments, Third-Party,Reimbursements, Health Insurance,Third Party Payers,Third Party Payments,Third-Party Payer,Third-Party Payment
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010465	Perception	The process by which the nature and meaning of sensory stimuli are recognized and interpreted.	Sensory Processing,Processing, Sensory
D010821	Physicians, Family	Those physicians who have completed the education requirements specified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.	Family Physician,Family Physicians,Physician, Family
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002983	Clinical Competence	The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care.	Clinical Skills,Competence, Clinical,Clinical Competency,Clinical Skill,Competency, Clinical,Skill, Clinical,Skills, Clinical,Clinical Competencies,Competencies, Clinical
D005260	Female		Females
D006293	Health Promotion	Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.	Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man