The recent publication in The Annals of Internal Medicine shed light on the extent of healthcare contact among older adults in traditional Medicare. Revealing that seniors spend approximately three weeks a year seeking medical care outside their homes, the study suggests potential issues of both overuse and underuse of healthcare services. NPR’s investigation into the matter uncovered prevalent instances of ageism in healthcare, such as speaking loudly to elders or directing conversations to caregivers without clinical justification, which can be detrimental. Dr. Louise Aronson highlights how ageism contributes to disparities in treatment due to insufficient education on aging among healthcare providers. Negative age stereotypes also impact health outcomes, incurring significant economic costs annually. Initiatives like Age-Friendly Health Systems strive to mitigate ageism by prioritizing patient needs. Recognizing and addressing ageism is crucial for patient outreach teams to tailor messaging effectively, while participation in behavioral studies enables organizations to tailor their approaches based on empirical evidence rather than age-related assumptions. Institutions designated as “Age-Friendly” should emphasize their expertise in providing equitable care across age groups.

Read the study: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2331

Read the NPR article: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/07/1236371376/bias-ageism-older-adults-geriatrics