An Aberdeen researcher has won a prize for a research paper looking at the provision of specialised care for older people across Scotland.
Dr Alison Donaldson’s paper won the award from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) Senior Fellows Club for the best clinical investigation or audit paper published during 2019 by a doctor in training.
The paper, published in the June 2019 issue of JRCPE, shared findings from the University of Aberdeen led Scottish Care of Older People national audit project (SCoOP).
The initial scoping survey showed variations in the number of geriatricians (doctors who specialise in older adults) per head of population over 65 among Scottish health boards. It also showed variation in acute and community services provision for older adults.
Dr Donaldson has also been recipient of a Speciality Trainee Start-up grant from the British Geriatrics Society which has enabled a detailed second audit to be performed which will be correlated with Health Services data from ISD Scotland.
Dr Donaldson said: “The hope is that with further work of this national audit project, SCoOP will pave the way to fair and equitable access to high quality care for frail older adults in Scotland and ultimately set the benchmark on a global scale.”