Primary Care Doctors' Attitudes Towards Geriatric Care in Malaysia:An Online Survey

Background: Primary care doctors play a pivotal role in an ageing society. They must possess appropriate attitudes about offering effective care to older people. Therefore, this study sought to determine the attitudes of primary care doctors towards geriatric care and factors associated with positive attitudes among these doctors in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between May 2023 and January 2024, included 328 primary care doctors in Malaysia. It used convenience sampling and included doctors who had worked for at least six months in a primary care setting. The University of California Los Angeles Geriatric Attitude Scale questionnaire was administered online. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with positive attitudes towards geriatric care. Results: Primary care doctors’ attitudes towards geriatric care in Malaysia were generally positive. Being a family medicine specialist (Adj. B 0.25; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.37, p ≤ 0.001) and perceiving that their clinic had administrative support for geriatric care services (Adj. B 0.15; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.24, p = 0.001) were associated with a positive attitude regarding geriatric care. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for more primary care doctors to pursue specialty training in family medicine and highlights the administrative support necessary to deliver geriatric care. Targeted strategies can be used to cultivate a supportive and understanding environment for primary care doctors, which, in turn, will positively impact their attitudes toward the delivery of geriatric care. Keywords: Primary Health Care, Geriatric care, Malaysia