Unnecessary disrobing among elderly patients: A Longitudinal Study

Background & Aim: Anecdotal reports suggest elderly patients are more likely than other age groups to unnecessarily remove all clothing prior to the commencement of an initial Physiotherapy assessment consultation.

Method: 30 Physiotherapists over a six month period recorded the degree of voluntary and unnecessary disrobing among a total of 3654 patients.

Results: When matched for symptom location, symptom intensity, symptom duration, gender and socioeconomic status, patients aged >75 were 954 times more likely to needlessly nude up.

Conclusion: A Practitioner’s ability to maintain a straight face in the face of unanticipated patient nudity should form part of future teaching curricula.