Program Goals

Our vision:

For physicians
All physicians caring for seniors will be proficient in geriatric care principles and practices.

Our objectives:

• Ensure physician competency in caring for the aging patient.
• Evaluate and disseminate tools and resources needed by physicians to improve their practice of medicine.
• Help aging patients help themselves to better health outcomes.
• Ensure that aging patients have appropriate options for long-term care.
  

Our strategies:

Ensure physician competency in caring for the aging patient

• Develop consensus on standards and requirements for competencies in caring for the elderly by engaging medical societies and national organizations that are involved with medical education, accreditation, certification and licensure.
• Identify and achieve consensus on minimum geriatric competences at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education levels.
• Disseminate information regarding the process of developing consensus to professionals and the public.

Evaluate and disseminate physician tools and resoureces

• Assess best practices and programs.
• Provide reports and tools for physicians that will augment their practice.
• Provide technical assistance, materials and curricula for physicians to use for continuing medical education (CME) including performance improvement CME.

Help patients help themselves

• Develop materials to help physicians and health care team(s) improve patient self-care, knowledge, practice and safety.
• Develop public outreach tools and educational materials for patients and their caregivers (e.g. family members, friends) to learn about self-care methods.

Improve options for long-term care

• Develop principles and criteria for long-term care practice options that promote coordination and continuity of care, quality and cost-effectiveness.

For more information on the AMA's program on Aging and Community Health, please contact program director Joanne Schwartzberg.