Perceptions, motivations, needs and experiences of geriatricians with regard to research and research consortia

With the aging population, there is a growing need for research in geriatrics. Currently, participation of geriatricians in research is behind that of other specialties.

We aim to investigate the perceptions, motivations, needs and experiences of geriatricians with regard to research and their willingness to contribute to research consortia in the Netherlands.

The study was a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study. Between March 2024 and May 2024, all Dutch geriatricians were invited to participate in an online survey, then semi-structured interviews were conducted. An inductive thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse, and report patterns in the qualitative data.

171 geriatricians (80.6% female) participated in the survey (31.8% response rate). According to the survey, all geriatricians felt a shared responsibility to participate in research. However, 101/171 (59.1%) geriatricians did not participate. Of the 70 geriatricians that participated in research, 20 (28.6%) joined a research consortium. Following the survey, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Lack of time, financial resources, and inadequate training during geriatric residency were identified as barriers to participate in research. Interviews revealed that earlier positive experiences with research and synergic collaboration with colleagues encourage participation of geriatricians in research.

More focus on research during geriatric medicine residency could foster long-term research involvement. This can be achieved by providing increased exposure to research, positive experiences with research, and access to skilled supervisors.

Barriers and facilitators should be addressed in policies to promote greater involvement of geriatricians in research and research consortia.