Older doctors less likely to deliver best care

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Doctors who are older or have been practising for longer are less likely to follow updated guidelines.
It's a common belief that it's best to consult a more experienced doctor if you can and, most often, that's an older practitioner. But the older doctor may not deliver the best care, according to a new analysis from Harvard Medical School.

They have reviewed 62 studies on doctors and their performances. Three quarters of these show that a doctor's performance declines over time. Older doctors seem to stick with what they were taught, which could be very out of date. There's more emphasis on evidence-based medicine these days and on clinical guidelines. The older doctor is more likely to ignore these. What is more, contrary to what you might think, younger doctors know more about medicine, according to this study. Although there are many ways in which doctors are encouraged - indeed, they are obliged - to keep up to date, it is clear that these are not working as well as they should. The researchers say that new ways of helping doctors keep abreast of developments need to be found. After all, the standard of patient care should not depend on the doctor's age.

Source
Annals of Internal Medicine 14th February 2005