What influences initiation of alcohol related discussions between healthcare professions and older adults? A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis.

OBJECTIVE

Alcohol consumption has implications for physical and mental health, yet al.cohol related discussions between older adults (OA) and healthcare professionals (HCP) are limited. This review aimed to identify what influences the initiation (or not) of alcohol-related discussions between HCP and OA.

METHOD: PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL and references of relevant papers were searched. Peer-reviewed reports of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method original studies, written in English that reported on the influences on alcohol related discussions with OA (55+) were included. Studies' quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was conducted.

RESULTS

Seven studies from three countries were included. The reports were of mixed quality. Three main themes (with subthemes) were constructed to capture the factors influencing initiation of alcohol-related discussions: Older adult factors (alcohol history; age and ethnicity); Knowledge and skill; and Contextual factors (time; risk factors).

CONCLUSION

Sparse literature in this area makes it difficult to draw conclusions. However, this review highlights several key factors which influence the initiation of alcohol-related discussions, most notably factors relating to HCP knowledge and training and the contextual factor, time. Further, high quality research is required to support the growth of alcohol related discussions with OA in healthcare settings.