Private Practice in Geriatrics – A Year's Experience / פרקטיקה פרטית בגריאטריה – ניסיון של שנה

Eighty four patients requested a private consultation with a geriatrician who was employed full time as head of a department of geriatrics. Forty percent of the patients reported that the main reason for seeking private medical care was dissatisfaction with the public services. Only 9% had a complaint against his/her specific family physician. For the combination of main and secondary reasons for consultation, 60% expressed their wish for seeking a second opinion. In 46% of the private practice patients the medical problem was found to be psychosocial. The conclusions from the experience of our study were: 1. Geriatric patients need more time and less tests. 2. The psychiatric stigma is stronger than the geriatric one. 3. Home visits are an integral part of geriatric services.