Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough?
Abstract Background Our aim was to evaluate Spanish family doctors’ knowledge about medications that increase the risk of traffic accidents involving older drivers, and to obtain data about the involvement of family doctors in accident prevention activities and the associations between these factors...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04316-z |
| _version_ | 1797451548823912448 |
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| author | Eladio Jiménez-Mejías Fátima Ruiz-Rodríguez Luis Miguel Martín-de los Reyes José Herrero-Rubí Mario Rivera-Izquierdo Virginia Martínez-Ruiz Pablo Lardelli-Claret |
| author_facet | Eladio Jiménez-Mejías Fátima Ruiz-Rodríguez Luis Miguel Martín-de los Reyes José Herrero-Rubí Mario Rivera-Izquierdo Virginia Martínez-Ruiz Pablo Lardelli-Claret |
| author_sort | Eladio Jiménez-Mejías |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Our aim was to evaluate Spanish family doctors’ knowledge about medications that increase the risk of traffic accidents involving older drivers, and to obtain data about the involvement of family doctors in accident prevention activities and the associations between these factors and their demographic and workplace characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional study of 1888 family doctors throughout Spain was carried out from 2016 to 2018. Participants completed a previously validated self-administered questionnaire that explored whether family doctors distinguished between medications associated with a high or low risk of involvement in a traffic accident, investigated the appropriateness of advice given to older patients, and physicians’ involvement in preventive activities. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the adjusted association of these variables with each other and with characteristics of family doctors in the sample. Results On a scale of 1 (never or hardly ever) to 4 (always), the indexes constructed to evaluate how often family doctors believed they should oversee the use of high-risk and low-risk medications yielded values of 3.38 for the former and 2.61 for the latter (p < 0.001). Only 24% responded correctly to all three items that inquired about the appropriateness of the advice they gave to older patients. On a scale of 1 to 4, the frequency at which family doctors gave older patients advice about preventive measures was 2.85, and only 43% reported allocating time during appointments to provide this advice. These latter two variables were directly associated with appropriate values for the index used to evaluate physicians’ oversight of medications associated with a high risk. The perception of risk associated with medications and involvement in preventive activities were both greater among female participants. Conclusions Family doctors correctly identified medications according to their risk of playing a role in traffic accidents, although the recommendations they gave to their patients were not always appropriate. These findings, along with physicians’ infrequent involvement in preventive activities, suggest a need to improve family doctors’ competencies and increase the resources available to them so that they can provide their older patients with advice on ways to prevent involvement in traffic accidents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:56:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81a52343dd3842edbdc1cf30147bff80 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:56:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-81a52343dd3842edbdc1cf30147bff802023-11-26T14:10:49ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182023-10-0123111010.1186/s12877-023-04316-zMedications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough?Eladio Jiménez-Mejías0Fátima Ruiz-Rodríguez1Luis Miguel Martín-de los Reyes2José Herrero-Rubí3Mario Rivera-Izquierdo4Virginia Martínez-Ruiz5Pablo Lardelli-Claret6Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of GranadaAbstract Background Our aim was to evaluate Spanish family doctors’ knowledge about medications that increase the risk of traffic accidents involving older drivers, and to obtain data about the involvement of family doctors in accident prevention activities and the associations between these factors and their demographic and workplace characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional study of 1888 family doctors throughout Spain was carried out from 2016 to 2018. Participants completed a previously validated self-administered questionnaire that explored whether family doctors distinguished between medications associated with a high or low risk of involvement in a traffic accident, investigated the appropriateness of advice given to older patients, and physicians’ involvement in preventive activities. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the adjusted association of these variables with each other and with characteristics of family doctors in the sample. Results On a scale of 1 (never or hardly ever) to 4 (always), the indexes constructed to evaluate how often family doctors believed they should oversee the use of high-risk and low-risk medications yielded values of 3.38 for the former and 2.61 for the latter (p < 0.001). Only 24% responded correctly to all three items that inquired about the appropriateness of the advice they gave to older patients. On a scale of 1 to 4, the frequency at which family doctors gave older patients advice about preventive measures was 2.85, and only 43% reported allocating time during appointments to provide this advice. These latter two variables were directly associated with appropriate values for the index used to evaluate physicians’ oversight of medications associated with a high risk. The perception of risk associated with medications and involvement in preventive activities were both greater among female participants. Conclusions Family doctors correctly identified medications according to their risk of playing a role in traffic accidents, although the recommendations they gave to their patients were not always appropriate. These findings, along with physicians’ infrequent involvement in preventive activities, suggest a need to improve family doctors’ competencies and increase the resources available to them so that they can provide their older patients with advice on ways to prevent involvement in traffic accidents.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04316-zTraffic accidentsOlder driversMedicationsPreventionFamily doctorsPrimary healthcare physicians |
| spellingShingle | Eladio Jiménez-Mejías Fátima Ruiz-Rodríguez Luis Miguel Martín-de los Reyes José Herrero-Rubí Mario Rivera-Izquierdo Virginia Martínez-Ruiz Pablo Lardelli-Claret Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough? BMC Geriatrics Traffic accidents Older drivers Medications Prevention Family doctors Primary healthcare physicians |
| title | Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough? |
| title_full | Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough? |
| title_fullStr | Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough? |
| title_short | Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough? |
| title_sort | medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers do spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough |
| topic | Traffic accidents Older drivers Medications Prevention Family doctors Primary healthcare physicians |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04316-z |
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