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Geriatrics

Thomas Jefferson University

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

2021

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Impact Of Age On Consent In A Geriatric Orthopaedic Trauma Patient Population., Madeline M. Mcgovern, Michael F Mctague, Erin Stevens, Juan Carlos Nunez Medina, Esteban Franco-Garcia, Marilyn Heng Mar 2021

Impact Of Age On Consent In A Geriatric Orthopaedic Trauma Patient Population., Madeline M. Mcgovern, Michael F Mctague, Erin Stevens, Juan Carlos Nunez Medina, Esteban Franco-Garcia, Marilyn Heng

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction: Persistent misconceptions of frailty and dementia in geriatric patients impact physician-patient communication and leave patients vulnerable to disempowerment. Physicians may inappropriately focus the discussion of treatment options to health care proxies instead of patients. Our study explores the consenting process in a decision-making capable orthogeriatric trauma patient population to determine if there is a relationship between increased patient age and surgical consent by health care proxy.

Methods: Patients aged 65 and older who underwent operative orthopaedic fracture fixation between 1 of 2 Level 1 Trauma Centers were retrospectively reviewed. Decision-making capable status was defined as an absence of patient …