OBJECTIVES

To examine geriatrics knowledge and attitudes of non-primary care house officers (HOs) before and after a multidisciplinary faculty development program.

DESIGN

Serial cross-sectional surveys.

PARTICIPANTS

HOs.

SETTING

A large midwestern academic medical center.

INTERVENTION

Faculty from seven surgical and six medical subspecialties participated in weekly seminars for 9 months and implemented geriatrics curricula in their HO programs.

MEASUREMENTS

HO geriatrics attitudes and knowledge were measured using the University of California at Los Angeles Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (GAS; 14 items), two scales of the Maxwell Sullivan test (Therapeutic Potential and Time/Energy; six items each; lower scores denote more-favorable attitudes), and the Geriatrics Clinical Knowledge Assessment (20 multiple choice items; range 0-100%). Repeat surveys were administered in seven disciplines after geriatrics curriculum implementation.

RESULTS

Baseline (n=175) geriatrics attitudes were favorable (e.g., 3.7 for GAS; 2.1 for Time/Energy), with more-favorable attitudes among medical subspecialty than surgical HOs (e.g., mean GAS 3.8 and 3.6, respectively; P=.001), and with advanced training. Mean baseline knowledge scores were 65.1% among all HOs. No differences in attitudes or knowledge were observed between the first (n=100) and second (n=90) cohorts in the seven disciplines that administered subsequent tests.

CONCLUSION

Geriatrics attitudes of non-primary care HOs are positive, and knowledge is moderate, suggesting need for and potential effect of geriatrics curricula. Demonstrating effects on learner outcomes of faculty development programs may require more than one faculty member per discipline and measures that are curriculum-specific and detailed rather than general and brief.