Some aspects of doctor-patient relationships and the older patient

A study of doctor-patient relationships concerning older patients was carried out among general practitioners in German-speaking Switzerland. Information was sought by questionnaire on general practitioners' personal characteristics and characteristics of practice (independent variables), on attitudes and personality characteristics (intervening variables), and on consultation behavior (dependent variables). Findings indicated the effects of personal background factors, of personality characteristics, and of attitudes on consulting behavior of general practitioners vis-à-vis the elderly. A causal path analysis was carried out and showed that general practitioners' age (and what age stands for in terms of life events) and, to a lesser extent, proportion of elderly in the practice were important causal determinants in general practitioners' consulting behavior vis-à-vis the elderly. Other variables were also found to be significant as causal links; these included preventive orientation, attitude to the aged, extraversion, and conservatism. In conclusion, some practical implications are briefly discussed.