What Motivates Physicians to Address Caregiver Needs? The Role of Experiential Similarity. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Despite the significant stress of family caregiving, caregivers' needs and risks are often overlooked in healthcare settings. This study examined the factors associated with primary care physicians' perceived responsibility to identify and address caregiver needs and risks. Using a national random sample of U.S. primary care physicians (N = 106), multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations of physicians' perceived responsibility to assess caregivers' needs with experiential similarity (personal experience with caregiving), structural similarity (being older and female), and secondary exposure variables (time seeing older adults in the outpatient setting). Most (76.5%) physicians felt responsible for identifying caregivers' needs and risks. In multivariable models, physicians who had personal experience with caregiving were four times more likely than those without it to feel responsible for identifying caregivers' needs and risks and assessing caregivers' mental health concerns. Thus, physicians may benefit from educational interventions that immerse them in caregivers' lived experiences.

publication date

  • January 20, 2023

Research

keywords

  • Caregivers
  • Emotions

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC10081953

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85147451252

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/jep.13230

PubMed ID

  • 36661199

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 42

issue

  • 5