UMH Experts Recommend Including Loneliness Assessment in Medical Records

"Loneliness should be treated as a risk factor comparable to other clinical indicators such as hypertension or diabetes." These words highlight the magnitude of an issue that is increasingly gaining attention in our society.

The author of this statement is Professor Mª Antonia Parra Rizo from the Department of Health Psychology at UMH, the lead author of an article in which researchers from the university provide recommendations to prepare future healthcare professionals to address loneliness in old age.

The work proposes a training strategy that includes workshops on communication with older adults, clinical simulations, and an interdisciplinary approach integrating social work, psychology, and medicine.

Today, we know that loneliness can exacerbate many diseases, such as depression or cardiovascular problems, and that it hinders the adherence to medical treatments, for example, when an elderly person stops taking medication because they have no one to discuss their concerns with," notes the expert, lamenting that despite its impact, healthcare protocols do not usually include questions about loneliness or evaluate it as part of clinical care.

In this regard, the team proposes a modular program of 8 to 12 weeks addressing everything from the definition of loneliness to clinical and community interventions. Their training plan highlights the role of clinical tutors in the training of residents and advocates for including loneliness assessment in medical records as part of comprehensive care.

For UMH Physiotherapy Professor Sergio Hernández Sánchez, also an author of the publication, "to improve early detection of loneliness and its effective management, joint work between professionals in medicine, psychology, social work, and nursing would be essential." To this end, their proposal includes activities such as role-playing, ethical debates, simulated cases, and assessment through OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations).

Recent studies have shown that loneliness increases the risk of depression, cognitive decline, cardiovascular diseases, hospitalisations, and premature mortality. Furthermore, as highlighted in the UMH scientific publication, the loneliness of the elderly ultimately raises social and healthcare costs and complicates treatment adherence. Therefore, the authors argue that its detection and management should be a basic competency in the training of healthcare personnel.