JAGS Paper: Clinician Knowledge and Behaviors Related to the 4Ms Framework of Age-Friendly Health Systems
The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) has published a paper, "Clinician Knowledge and Behaviors Related to the 4Ms Framework of Age-Friendly Health Systems."
The Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) movement aims to improve the experience of care for adults aged 65 years and older through the 4Ms framework, an evidence-based approach to care planning that emphasizes what matters most to the older person, mentation, mobility, and medication. The study aim was to examine clinicians' attitudes, knowledge, and practices concerning AFHS and the 4Ms.
The authors, from WebMD and The John A. Hartford Foundation, surveyed U.S.-based primary care providers randomly identified from the Medscape database. The sample was weighted based on sex, U.S. Census region, and ethnic diversity of health occupations and differences were examined between cohorts.
Results found that more than 90% of clinicians agreed that “older patients require a different approach to care than younger patients.” A majority of clinicians acknowledged the benefits of providing care via AFHS but reported limited knowledge of the specificities of the 4Ms framework and are not necessarily taking the age of their patients into consideration when determining the best form of care. The paper discusses differences between primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants and which of the 4Ms are most challenging in practice, among other findings.
"Our study reinforces the case for training primary care providers on how to adopt the evidence-based 4Ms framework in clinical practice effectively and consistently."
To read the paper, click here.
To read a related article on the survey, Age-Friendly Health Care: A New Approach, click here.
To learn more about the AFHS 4Ms framework, click here.
