Use of clinical vignettes to assess health care professionals’ identification and response to elder abuse in dementia care: a cross-sectional study

Ries, N; Bryant, J; Mansfield, E; Mackenzie, L; Webster, P; Kuhne, C; Leigh, L; Boyes, A

Use of clinical vignettes to assess health care professionals’ identification and response to elder abuse in dementia care: a cross-sectional study

Ries, N

Bryant, J Mansfield, E Mackenzie, L Webster, P Kuhne, C Leigh, L Boyes, A

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Publisher:: Taylor and Francis Group
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 2026, pp. 1-21
Issue Date:: 2026-02-26

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ries, N https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5264-6722
dc.contributor.author	Bryant, J
dc.contributor.author	Mansfield, E
dc.contributor.author	Mackenzie, L
dc.contributor.author	Webster, P
dc.contributor.author	Kuhne, C
dc.contributor.author	Leigh, L
dc.contributor.author	Boyes, A
dc.date.accessioned	2026-03-01T23:57:31Z
dc.date.available	2026-03-01T23:57:31Z
dc.date.issued	2026-02-26
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 2026, pp. 1-21
dc.identifier.issn	0894-6566
dc.identifier.issn	1540-4129
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193755
dc.description.abstract	Elder abuse affects nearly 15% of older Australians, with those living with dementia at increased risk. This study explored how Australian health care providers identify and respond to different types of elder abuse using six hypothetical vignettes. An online cross-sectional survey (N = 130) evaluated identification and response to instances of elder abuse among geriatricians, general practitioners, and nurse practitioners. Rates of accurate identification were highest for physical (94.3%) and psychological abuse (91.5%), followed by sexual abuse (76.1%), neglect (72.3%), and financial abuse (72%). While most participants provided an appropriate response to psychological abuse, neglect, and financial abuse (100%, 100%, 97.8%), fewer reported an appropriate response to physical (37%) and sexual (67%) abuse. Older age was associated with lower identification accuracy for psychological and physical abuse. General practitioners were more likely to correctly identify neglect. Findings highlight important knowledge and response gaps, underscoring the need for targeted education and training.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Taylor and Francis Group
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/08946566.2026.2636518
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	11 Medical and Health Sciences, 16 Studies in Human Society, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Gerontology
dc.subject.classification	4203 Health services and systems
dc.subject.classification	4205 Nursing
dc.title	Use of clinical vignettes to assess health care professionals’ identification and response to elder abuse in dementia care: a cross-sectional study
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences
utslib.for	16 Studies in Human Society
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Law Health Justice
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Stroke Research Collaborative
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-03-01T23:57:29Z
pubs.publication-status	Published online

Abstract:

Elder abuse affects nearly 15% of older Australians, with those living with dementia at increased risk. This study explored how Australian health care providers identify and respond to different types of elder abuse using six hypothetical vignettes. An online cross-sectional survey (N = 130) evaluated identification and response to instances of elder abuse among geriatricians, general practitioners, and nurse practitioners. Rates of accurate identification were highest for physical (94.3%) and psychological abuse (91.5%), followed by sexual abuse (76.1%), neglect (72.3%), and financial abuse (72%). While most participants provided an appropriate response to psychological abuse, neglect, and financial abuse (100%, 100%, 97.8%), fewer reported an appropriate response to physical (37%) and sexual (67%) abuse. Older age was associated with lower identification accuracy for psychological and physical abuse. General practitioners were more likely to correctly identify neglect. Findings highlight important knowledge and response gaps, underscoring the need for targeted education and training.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193755