The Institute of Medicine's March symposium on health reform for older patients recommended that healthcare professionals be trained to meet the needs of this growing segment of the population.
"In 12 years there will be more than 70 million seniors in the U.S., and we must prepare now to ensure their access to care," said Jeremy Lazarus, MD, an American Medical Association board member.
Lazarus noted that there are currently some 7,000 physicians trained in geriatrics, but the increasing demand calls for 36,000 physicians trained to care for the elderly population. As a result, the AMA is calling for all physicians who care for older patients to get geriatric training.
To help physicians, the AMA has developed tools and made resources available that will supplement their knowledge and practices.
"Older patients need better access to regular and preventive care that can improve their health and help reduce the cost burden on the entire healthcare system," Lazarus said. "Healthcare reform is needed to better serve seniors and to empower physicians to deliver the highest quality care."
Among the tools that AMA provides is a physician resource guide to patient self-management support, a tip sheet for patient self-management, information on the health concerns of older adults, a brief on personal action planning and a brief on planning for healthy changes.
The resources have now been available for some time, Lazarus said. While the AMA has not yet calculated page views or downloads from the Web site, he said that - anecdotally - "a lot of physicians are using the tools, especially for medication reconciliation."
Aside from publishing these resources and tools, Lazarus said the AMA is working with all of the medical organizations to increase the knowledge of providers, from medical students through practicing physicians. He stressed the importance of geriatric training throughout the medical community.
The Institute of Medicine is also working around the country to get the information out, Lazarus said.
Education is an ongoing process, but Lazarus believes progress in geriatric training and knowledge dissemination would likely be discernable within six months.