Attitude of primary health care physicians towards caring for elderly patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

To study the attitude of primary health care physicians in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, towards caring for the elderly. This cross-sectional study using Arabic questionnaires for doctors was conducted at 15 primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a period of one month. The results from 68 [54.4% male, 45.6% female] doctors' questionnaires were collected and analyzed. A clear majority of these physicians [94.1%] feel either comfortable or no difference in consulting with elderly patients. Almost all of them [98.5%] accepted the idea of periodic health check ups. Primary health care centers were listed by 82.4% of the respondents as the preferred place for the periodic check ups, and 76.5% of the primary health care physicians indicated that they were the preferred practitioners to conduct such examinations. The majority of the primary health care physicians were keen to participate in home visits for those elderly patients unable to visit primary health care centers, even if it entailed increasing their workload. Planning and implementation of the health care for the elderly would be more appropriate if integrated into primary health care center activities. It is advisable to include periodic health check ups and home visits when needed, taking into consideration the cultural values of the Saudi community