Elements in Physician/Patient Interactions in Late Life

Abstract

This article considers how physicians' and elderly patients' social and cultural backgrounds affect their interactions and how their power relationships can change the interactions. The author first examines how doctors establish power over elderly patients by using the patient's first name. Next, she identifies six elements to be used when assessing the physician-elderly patient relationship. She considers how the demographic backgrounds of both doctors and elderly patients can influence their understanding and expectations of each other and then explores the impact of the interaction location and the effects of the health of both participants. She discusses how patient caregivers can affect the physician-elderly patient relationship and how uncertainty about information exchanged can damage the relationship. Finally, the author projects how new technologies will be used to modify physician-elderly patient interactions in the future.