Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37553540›Full record

SynthesisEuropean geriatric medicine2023

Attitudes to ageing amongst health care professionals: a qualitative systematic review.

Neil Jeyasingam, Loyola McLean, Lisa Mitchell, Anne P F Wand

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European geriatric medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Ageism toward older adults among healthcare workers and students: A scoping review.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Neil JeyasingamSpecialty of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Chippendale, NSW, 2006, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0916-885X
Loyola McLeanSpecialty of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Chippendale, NSW, 2006, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6004-0093
Lisa MitchellBarwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1644-0479
Anne P F WandSpecialty of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Chippendale, NSW, 2006, Australia. a.wand@unsw.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-7811-5225

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesOlder adults utilising healthcare may be vulnerable to systemic bias regarding ageing potentially affecting care. Primary aim is to systematically review the qualitative literature examining attitudes to ageing amongst health care professionals (HCPs). Secondary aim is to describe and compare attitudes to ageing between different professional groups.

methodsStudies examining attitudes to ageing of HCPs were identified using four databases. Original qualitative research with HCPs was included, excluding studies examining students alone, reviews, and grey literature. Three authors undertook standardised data extraction and quality rating for each study and thematic synthesis, with a fourth senior author reviewing. Quality appraisal followed the Attree and Milton guidelines (2006), including studies rated A-C.

resultsOf 5869 citations, 13 met initial inclusion criteria. Synthesis of the 12 studies graded A-C followed (excluding one study rated-D). Nurses, doctors, and social workers were most frequently investigated. Identified themes included Attitudes towards older persons, The role of the older persons' family, Behaviour of HCPs towards older persons, Behaviour of older persons towards HCPs, and Definitions of an older person. An overarching theme emerged of the systemic context of attitudes to ageing. Common attitudes were found across disciplines, with doctors emphasising complexity and dependency and nurses the burden of care.

conclusionsHCP's attitudes to ageing vary and are shaped by professional experiences and systemic factors. HCP attitudes may affect responses to and care of the older person. Therefore, interprofessional research, and systemic and service changes across disciplines are required to foster real and sustainable attitudinal change to support older peoples' care.

Indexed as

AgeismAgingAttitude of Health PersonnelHealth PersonnelAgedHumansQualitative ResearchAgeismBurnoutClinicianPerceptionsSystem

Identifiers

PMID37553540
PMCPMC10587319

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.