Researchers considered whether physician age impacted inpatient outcomes, in a study published in The BMJ.
The study included a random sample of Medicare fee-for-service patients, 65 years old or older. Between 2011 and 2014, these patients were admitted to the hospital with a medical condition. In total, the study analyzed 736,537 admissions managed by 18,854 hospitalist physicians with a median age of 41 years.
Here are five insights:
1. The patients' adjusted 30-day mortality rates based on physician age were as follows:
• Treated by physicians over the age of 40 — 10.8 percent
• Treated by physicians aged 40 to 49 years — 11.1 percent
• Treated by physicians aged 50 to 59 years — 11.3 percent
• Treated by physicians 60 years or older — 12.1 percent
2. Researchers noted no association between physician age and patient mortality for physicians with high volumes of patients.
3. The study revealed physician age did not impact readmission.
4. Older physicians yielded slightly higher costs of care, compared to younger physicians.
5. Researchers concluded, "Within the same hospital, patients treated by older physicians had higher mortality than patients cared for by younger physicians, except those physician treating high volumes of patients."