Older Adult Health Communication

Among older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MMCs), anxiety and depression can exacerbate patient perceptions of symptoms, which lead to further declines in functioning. Symptoms of anxiety and depression (e.g. amotivation, difficulty concentrating) can hinder effective communication and reduce patient’s ability to engage in a collaborative relationship with their healthcare team. The long-term goal of this research is to improve quality of life, reduce functional impairments and increase independence among older adults with MCCs, including depression and anxiety. This developmental project aims to identify patient barriers to effective communication with internal medicine providers among older adults with symptoms of anxiety and depression and their caregivers, and to develop a low-fidelity prototype of a patient organizational system to enhance communication with providers that will be detailed in a design document.

The PI is Emily Lattie, PhD.

Project Name

• Assessing needs and designing solutions to help older adults communicate with healthcare teams

Funding

• P30 AG059988