Course Level: Beginner
Format Requirements: This is a beginner level course, no prerequisites are required other than familiarity with some of the basic concepts of information processing and decision making principles. The course will alternate between interactive lectures, case study presentations and discussions and small group project of designing the "ideal communication intervention."
Background: The major goal of this short course is to inform the practitioner and researcher about challenges an aging population faces with regard to cognitive and affective processing of health information and its implications for health decision making. Attendees of this short course will aquire the following skills: 1) to be informed about the latest research in information processing among elderly individuals 2) to be able to translate the findings from research studies to health decision making situations. 3) to acquire communication skills and strategies to facilitate conversing with elderly individuals about health care decisions. 4) be sensitive to different cultural beliefs about aging, decision making and information processing.
Description and Objectives: With a changing health care system and ever more complex technological advances, an increasing aged population will face more and more challenging situations to manage their health. This comes at a time in life when individual cognitive, affective, and attentional abilities decrease. This presents challenges for the health care provider who needs to communicate complex disease and treatment information and who needs to ensure that the patient is maximally involved in decisions about their care and their health.
The objectives of this short course are as follows:
- To inform attendees about the lastest findings in neuroscience as it impacts cognitive and affective processing of information
- To be sensitive to cultural, religious, and individual beliefs of elderly patients
- To apply these findings to patient communication and decision making situations through illustrative case studies
- To learn new communication strategies and to practice newly aquired communication skills in small groups
- Based on what has been discussed and learned, devise and critique an “ideal” communication intervention
The course director, will provide the overview of the course and discuss the challenges of decision making for elderly individuals
A clinical psychologist and expert in rehabilitation mediciine will discuss cognitive functioning among the elderly.
A communications expert will discuss communication challenges and solutions and will also provide the case studies to be used in the small group exercises.