A Critical Review of Interventions Addressing Ageist Attitudes in Healthcare Professional Education

Abstract

Background. As the population ages, the demand for health care services will increase. Evidence suggests that the pervasive negative societal beliefs regarding aging and older persons are also found among occupational therapy students and practitioners. These attitudes can negatively affect healthcare service provision. Purpose. To determine the strength of the evidence regarding educational interventions used to modify ageist values and beliefs of health care professionals. Methods. A critical review of the literature was undertaken to evaluate methodological quality of relevant outcome studies. Findings. Of the fifteen studies meeting the inclusion criteria one was rated as “strong” evidence, and the remainder lacked methodological rigour. Such results make it difficult to decide the usefulness of including educational interventions in health care curricula to negate ageism. Implications. Research specific to occupational therapy is required as our unique frames of reference and theoretical models to guide practice may preclude generalizability of research from other professional groups.