The glass is half full: geriatric precepting encounters in family medicine

Approximately 19% to 20% of all family medicine office visits involve care to patients older than age 65, yet limited research addresses family medicine geriatric education in the outpatient setting. This study explored how geriatric content is incorporated into resident/attending precepting encounters, using direct observation. An observer recorded the content of 259 sequential precepting interactions, including 33 encounters involving patients older than age 64. Eighty-five percent of these 33 encounters included discussion of a geriatric issue. Although precepting encounters for geriatric and nongeriatric patients were of similar length, more time was spent during geriatric encounters discussing functional issues. We conclude that resident continuity clinics are a source of geriatric education.