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Pharmacist or Physician: Age Differences in Satisfaction with Medical Advice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Odette N. Gould ,
Louise Wasylkiw ,
Erin E. Rogers  and
Miranda MacPherson
Odette N. Gould*
Affiliation:
Mount Allison University
Louise Wasylkiw
Affiliation:
Mount Allison University
Erin E. Rogers
Affiliation:
Mount Allison University
Miranda MacPherson
Affiliation:
Mount Allison University
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être addressées à : Dr. O.N. Gould, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Mount Allison University, 49A York Street, Sackville, NB E4L 1C7. (ogould@mta.ca)
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Abstract

Two studies examined predictors of medical care satisfaction in communities in Eastern Canada. Both studies focused on how the roles of pharmacists and physicians are perceived by adults of different ages. Using a survey methodology, Study 1 demonstrated that middle-aged adults, older adults, and community pharmacists differ in the extent to which they rate pharmacists as being important members of the health care team. Specifically, community members value pharmacists as health care providers, and this is especially true for older adults. Using an experimental paradigm, Study 2 examined ratings of medical interaction scenarios, ratings that varied as a function of kind of health professional (pharmacist vs. physician) and type of advice (directive vs. non-directive). Results suggest that older adults may have a more complex set of expectations about their health care interactions than do younger adults and that, for older adults, the factors that determine satisfaction differ across the professions being evaluated.

Résumé

Deux études ont analysé l'indice de satisfaction des services médicaux dans les communautés de l'Est canadien. Ces deux études sont centrées sur la façon dont les personnes de tous âges perçoivent le rôle des pharmaciens et des médecins. Grâce à une méthodologie d'enquête, la première étude montre que les gens d'âge moyen, les personnes âgées et les pharmaciens eux-mêmes ont des opinions différentes sur l'importance des pharmaciens en tant que membres de « l'équipe » de santé. Plus précisément, les membres de la communauté, et les personnes âgées en particulier, apprécient les pharmaciens comme pourvoyeurs de services de santé. Au moyen d'un paradigme expérimental, la seconde étude analyse l'évaluation de différents scénarios d'interaction médicale qui variaient en fonction du type de professionnel de la santé (par exemple le pharmacien ou le médecin) et du type de conseils donnés (par exemple directif ou non directif). Les résultats indiquent que les attentes des personnes plus âgées en matière d'interactions médicales sont peut-être plus complexes que celles des adultes plus jeunes, et que, pour les personnes âgées, les facteurs qui déterminent la satisfaction varient selon les professions qui sont évaluées.

Keywords

aginghealth care interactionsolder adultsegalitarian decision makingsatisafaction with health carevieillissementinteractions médicalespersonnes âgéesprise de décision égalitairesatisfaction à l'égard des services de sante
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , Summer/Été 2006 , pp. 207 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2006

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