Physicians' Mandatory Reporting of Elder Abuse

TLDR

State elder abuse statutes generally mandate reporting but lack provisions for investigation and service delivery, as exemplified by Alabama’s 1976 Protective Services Act. The study assessed how physicians respond to state elder abuse reporting statutes. Alabama physicians expressed doubts about diagnosing abuse, the law’s operation, and their willingness to report, indicating that mandatory reporting alone is counterproductive without adequate investigative and service provisions.

Abstract

We evaluated physicians' responses to state elder abuse reporting statutes. Most statutes require reporting without providing for adequate investigation and service delivery. The Alabama Protective Services Act of 1976 is typical. Survey responses by Alabama physicians suggest that they have reservations about their ability to diagnose abuse, the operation of the law, and their willingness to report abuse. It appears that, in Alabama, mandatory reporting by itself is counterproductive because the statute fails to provide for adequate investigation and service delivery or to command knowledgeable compliance.