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Updated: May 12, 2026
08:47
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Impact of Interprofessional Simulation on Health Students' Self-Reported Attitudes Towards Older Adults: A Pre-Post
Sophie Prissette1, Vanessa Bloch2, Olivier Bourdon2
1IFSI Paris Saint Joseph, Département Universitaire des Sciences Infirmières, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Summary
Interprofessional aging simulations improved healthcare students' attitudes towards older adults. Role-playing and debriefing reduced self-reported ageism, enhancing empathy and communication skills in future healthcare providers.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Medical Education
- Interprofessional Healthcare
Background:
- Aging simulation can enhance healthcare provider knowledge and skills.
- Interprofessional simulation focused on older adult care may positively influence student attitudes.
- This study investigated the impact of such simulations on healthcare students' self-reported attitudes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of interprofessional role-play simulations on healthcare students' attitudes towards older patients.
- To assess changes in self-reported ageism and geriatric attitudes among dental, nursing, and pharmacy students.
Main Methods:
- Interprofessional role-play simulations involving students from Dental Surgery, Nursing Sciences, and Pharmacy.
- Students participated in simulations playing roles of older adults and healthcare professionals.
- Attitudes were measured pre- and post-simulation using the University of California, Los Angeles Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (UCLA-GAS) and the Fraboni Ageism Scale-revised (FSA-R).
Main Results:
- A total of 348 students participated.
- UCLA-GAS scores showed no significant overall change, except for a slight decrease in Dental Surgery students.
- FSA-R scores significantly decreased overall and specifically for Pharmacy students, indicating reduced ageism.
Conclusions:
- Interprofessional role-play simulations demonstrated a potential positive effect on healthcare students' attitudes towards older adults.
- The simulation experience led to a decrease in self-reported ageism among participating students.
- These findings suggest that simulation-based interprofessional education can foster more positive attitudes in future healthcare professionals.
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