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Canadian geriatric psychiatrists: why do they do it? A Delphi study.
1University of Toronto, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario. s.lieff@utoronto.ca
Summary
Positive residency training experiences significantly influence psychiatrists to practice geriatric psychiatry. This highlights the crucial role of education in shaping specialized medical careers.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Medical Education
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Geriatric psychiatry is a specialized field addressing mental health in older adults.
- Understanding factors influencing career choice in this specialty is crucial for workforce development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key factors that influence psychiatrists to specialize in geriatric psychiatry.
- To generate hypotheses regarding the drivers of practice in this subspecialty.
Main Methods:
- The Delphi technique was employed to gather consensus from members of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP).
- Participants identified influential factors, which were then synthesized and rated for impact.
Main Results:
- Forty-one factors were evaluated, with positive or adequate residency training experiences identified as most influential.
- Supervision quality and inherent interest in the medical-psychiatric aspects of the field also emerged as significant factors.
Conclusions:
- The study hypothesizes that the quality and nature of psychiatry residency education significantly impact the decision to practice geriatric psychiatry.
- Educational experiences during training are a primary determinant for specializing in geriatric mental healthcare.