Primary care physicians’ identifying abuse of older adults in the small island state of Trinidad and Tobago

Purpose This study aims to examine primary care physicians who are in a tenable position to identify signs of abuse in older adults as well as provide an opportunity to safeguard them from abuse. Yet little is known about their clinical decision-making process during a clinic visit to detect abuse o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of adult protection 2021-02, Vol.23 (1), p.20-31
Main Authors: Huggins, Camille, Modeste-James, Akeem, Rouse, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult abuse & neglect
Adults
Aging
Clinical decision making
Clinics
Decision making
Health care
Health services
Intervention
Islands
Medical personnel
Medicine
Older people
Physicians
Population
Primary care
Professionals
Public health
Sex crimes
Telephone hotlines
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Summary:Purpose This study aims to examine primary care physicians who are in a tenable position to identify signs of abuse in older adults as well as provide an opportunity to safeguard them from abuse. Yet little is known about their clinical decision-making process during a clinic visit to detect abuse of older adults and provide adequate support in the Caribbean. Design/methodology/approach Fourteen primary care physicians working in a government operated free clinic were interviewed about their clinical decision-making process, in a narrative analysis format on the small island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Findings Primary care physicians expressed lack of knowledge about the primary health-care clinics’ protocols and procedures regarding abuse of older adults. Lack of attendance to educational in-service programs on recognizing and reporting abuse of older adults. A hands-off approach with non-medical abuse issues. Last there is no uniform assessments among the different types of physicians. Practical implications Although these findings are among primary care physicians located in Trinidad and Tobago, the context may be applied to primary care settings in other Caribbean islands. Major focus should be geared towards increasing awareness among the public and health-care professionals. Originality/value Sparse research on small island states regarding safeguarding policies for older adults who experience abuse.
ISSN:1466-8203
2042-8669
DOI:10.1108/JAP-07-2020-0020