Lay Evaluation of Symptoms by Older People: An Assessment of Potential Risk

This paper examines the appropriateness of lay evaluations of potential risk of symptoms among a sample of 667 elderly people living in community settings. Data were gathered through personal interviews and 3 weeks of structured health diaries in which older respondents recorded the symptoms they ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education & behavior 1993, Vol.20 (4), p.505-522
Main Authors: Stoller, Eleanor Palo, Forster, Lorna Earl, Pollow, Rachel, Tisdale, William A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Analysis. Health state
Biological and medical sciences
Data Collection
Decision Making
Elderly
Epidemiology
Female
General aspects
Geriatric Assessment
Health Behavior
Health Education
Health Needs
Health Problems
Health Status Indicators
Humans
Identification
Information Services
Male
Medical Records
Medical sciences
Methodology (Data Collection)
New York
Older Adults
Physician Patient Relationship
Prevalence
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Referral and Consultation - utilization
Risk
Risk Factors
Rural Population
Sampling Studies
Self Care - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:This paper examines the appropriateness of lay evaluations of potential risk of symptoms among a sample of 667 elderly people living in community settings. Data were gathered through personal interviews and 3 weeks of structured health diaries in which older respondents recorded the symptoms they experienced. Potential medical risk was determined on a symptom by symptom basis based on clinical information gathered during the interviews. Almost three fourths of the respondents exhibited potential clinical risk for at least one symptom they experienced during the 3-week diary period. One in eight respondents was judged at risk yet gave no evidence of physician consultation, either during or prior to the diary period. Implications of these results for health education designed to improve consultation decisions among elderly people are discussed.
ISSN:0195-8402
1090-1981
1552-6127
2732-5601
DOI:10.1177/109019819302000410