CA21122 - PROmoting GeRiAtric Medicine IN countries where it is still eMerGing (PROGRAMMING)

Geriatric Medicine (GM), which is the field of medicine that is concerned with the health and well-being of older adults, can play a crucial role in the alignment of health systems to the needs of the constantly growing older populations. However, countries have varying GM development backgrounds.

This Action’s objective is the definition of the content of targeted education and training activities in GM for health care professional across various clinical settings, destined mainly for countries where GM is still emerging and adapted to the local context, the needs and assets of stakeholders and the pragmatic possibilities of involved settings.

This will be accomplished by the description of the state-of-the-art of GM education in involved countries, the identification of the global and more specific local needs regarding the development of GM-related clinical skills and competencies of medical doctors and allied healthcare professionals involved in the care of older people across all the spectrum of health care services, the definition of the content of training courses in GM destined for non-geriatricians, by adjusting international standards to local needs and pragmatic possibilities, and the dissemination of results on identified needs and proposed solutions to stakeholders, policy makers and the public. Countries with well-established GM systems will contribute with their experience and know-how in clinical and academic GM.

Pragmatic solutions that aim to address the specialized health care needs or older people, such as tailored education and training of existing workforce, are feasible, affordable and exponentially efficient, and, thus, highly relevant.