Elderly people and the public health service: a much desirable marriage.

Rocketing healthcare demands are not currently paralleled by available economic resources and the fight against inappropriateness has had only a modest impact. Distribution equilibrium is afforded by various concealed and unconcealed filters to access, including waiting lists, and rationing. Age related rationing (better known as agism), is one of the most widespread forms and is cause for ethical and professional concern. At a time when everyone is verbally in favour of a patient oriented partnership, we decided to consult the public about health resource allocation, addressing the issue from an elderly perspective. Indeed, evidence on elderly attitudes towards this question is virtually nonexistent. METHODS We developed a brief questionnaire and organised a household survey in an elderly population, randomly selected from the residents aged 65 or over from central Padua, Italy. Several doctors and psychologists were carefully trained and given a $50 honorarium for each interview. Each potential participant was contacted in writing and received the interviewers at their home, where final informed consent was obtained. The subjects were asked: “Do you think citizens have the right to all forms of healthcare, even in old age?”. The question specifically addressed the issue of equal rights for youth and elderly people in the health domain. Trainees received instructions on containing and orientating answers from scrutinised