Training of Doctors at the Geriatric Centre, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

The population of older people is increasing exponentially and geriatric care is just evolving in Nigeria. There is a shortage of training opportunities for doctors in Nigeria to care for older people.

METHODS

This was an account of the conceptualisation, structure, and outcomes of the annual two-week basic certificate course in geriatric medicine for doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, between 2016 and 2022.

RESULTS

In all, 204 doctors were trained. Their mean age was 40.1 ± 8.5 years, and 105 (51.5%) were females. Majority (80%) worked in public hospitals, especially in the tertiary health sector (62.2%). Annual participation increased from 26 participants in 2016 to 39 participants in 2022. Knowledge acquisition was the main reason for attending the course (56.7%). There were 42 didactic lectures and ten clinical/practical sessions. On average, participants' self-rating in caring for older persons improved significantly after (80.2 ± 12.7%) than before (49.9 ± 16.4%) the course [mean difference = 30.24%, 95%CI (25.91-34.57), p<0.0001]. Similarly, the overall post-course test score in the 20 MCQs (14.08 ± 2.89) was significantly higher than the pre-course test (12.51 ± 2.01) scores [Mean difference = 1.57, 95%CI (0.45-2.69), p = 0.007]. Some participants (37.8%) had commenced special clinics for older persons in 39 institutions across Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

Our training programme has yielded a modest increase in the capacity building of doctors for the care of older Nigerians. However, more concerted efforts are needed to train more doctors throughout Nigeria.