We may think that being cared for by an older doctor may give us a longer life, however, a recent study reveals otherwise.
An observational study conducted by the Harvard University published in the British Medical Journal revealed that patient cared for by younger doctors have a longer life.
There were more than 700,000 patients and about 19,000 physicians included in the study. The patients observed were all aged 65 and over and were on Medicare.
The results showed that doctors who were under 40 had a mortality rate of 10.8%, this number steadily increased as the age of the doctor increased as well: doctors aged 40-49 had an 11.1% mortality rate; doctors who were 50-59 had a rate of 11.3%; and doctors who were 60 and over had a mortality rate of 12.1%.
Aside from the increasing mortality rate as the doctors age increases, it was also found that the costs were slightly higher among older physicians.
You may also read: Doctor Reveals Vital Secret to Live Longer: “Have a Hug Everyday”
While there was association between physician’s age and patient mortality, results did not vary among physicians who had a high volume of patients.
As a final conclusion, the researchers concluded that as the age of the physician increases, the rate of mortality also increases, except those physicians who had a high volume of patients.
