Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions and Experiences of Ageism: A Qualitative Study

This study focused on the experiences and perceptions of geriatric healthcare professionals. The research aimed to identify ageism, examine the influencing factors, explore the desired attitudes of geriatric healthcare professionals, and identify institutional changes required for age-integrated efforts and strategies to eliminate these barriers. Interviews with two physicians and eight nurses were conducted in South Korea from August to November 2023, with each session lasting about 1 h, and the transcripts were analyzed using the grounded theory by Strauss and Corbin. The analysis yielded 11 categories, 20 subcategories, and 120 concepts. The central phenomenon was "Ageism that is conducted implicitly and covertly". Causal conditions affecting the development of ageism were "Difficulties related to the perceived characteristics of older adults" and "Extra burden for older patients and their families". Contextual conditions were "Provider's aging anxiety" and "Personal experience about older patients", and interventional conditions were "Insufficient regular education aimed at ageism prevention" and "Insufficient staffing and resources". The action/interaction strategies were "Not perceived as a critical issue" and "Perception that it is difficult to change". After a thorough analysis and materializing of these concepts, the following prevention measures were proposed: "Need for regular education regarding the care of older patients (including ageism) in the nursing educational curriculum" and the "Need for sufficient staffing and resources". According to the results of this study, medical professionals must satisfy the healthcare needs of the elderly by understanding the proper aging process and tailoring their approach to the specific characteristics of older individuals. To achieve this, organizations should provide adequate resources and personnel.