The Impact of an Educational Program on Medical Students’ Knowledge and Awareness of Elder Abuse

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 1 in 6 adults 60 and older have experienced a form of abuse in the past year. Many cases remain under-reported due to lack of knowledge and awareness. This study created an educational program on elder abuse for medical students to determine if participation would increase knowledge and awareness of elder abuse. METHODS: This study used a pre and post survey methodology to evaluate students’ knowledge and awareness of elder abuse before and after participating in this educational program. Sixty first and second year osteopathic medical students at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus participated in this study. Students were emailed a pre-survey to evaluate their pre-existing knowledge and awareness. The survey was, previously created by the Student Training on Preventing Domestic Violence (STOP-DV) team using validated measures. Participants then attended educational events about various forms of elder abuse and recognizing its associated signs, and afterward completed the post-survey. The results were compared using t-tests to determine if there was a significant difference. RESULTS: First and second year students differed significantly in pre-survey results of knowledge but not post-survey results. The results showed a significant difference in overall mean knowledge (P-value < .001) and awareness scores (P-value < .001) in all students. CONCLUSION: These results suggest education on elder abuse can enable future physicians to better recognize, understand, and support older adults regarding elder maltreatment.