Geriatric Section of the U.E.M.S
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  About the section

CURRENT ISSUES

The increase in the numbers of older people in the EU presents the greatest challenge to health services in Europe. The management of ill health and disability in older people has been shown to be optimised by involvement of teams of professionals with specialist knowledge of medicine and rehabilitation in older people.
The specialty of Geriatric Medicine is recognised either as a specialty in its own right, or as a subspecialty of General Internal Medicine in most, but not all, Member States.
This variability may reflect differences in the organisation of healthcare in the Member States, or sometimes a reluctance to accept the ‘new’ specialty by the medical establishment.
The greatest challenges for the Geriatric Medicine section are :
  1. to ensure recognition of the specialty throughout the EU

  2. to harmonise training standards and requirements in Geriatric Medicine across the EU

  3. to ensure that all older people in the EU have similar and appropriate access to properly trained specialists in Geriatric Medicine to obtain the optimum outcomes from medical interventions.

The Geriatric Medicine Section of the UEMS has addressed these challenges by:
  • producing agreed standards and curricula for specialist training in Geriatric Medicine throughout the EU.

  • producing agreed guidelines for the training of medical undergraduates across the EU in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology.

  • producing an agreed system of inspection of training posts and their accreditation for equivalent training across the EU.

  • contributing to the development of a Master in Gerontology diploma.

  • contributing chapters to the EU Manual of Internal Medicine.

  • drawing together a database of information about the training opportunities and organisation in the individual Member States.

  • disseminating information about the organisation and practice of Geriatric Medicine, and about general issues including revalidation and continuing professional development across the Member States.

  • setting up and updating a website of the Geriatric Medicine section, with links to National Associations of Geriatrics and Gerontology.

  • encouraging participation by all Members and their trainees in the International Meetings of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society.

While progress has been steady, and work continues on all of the above, the section recognises that there is a great deal more to be done to ensure that all Member States can provide equivalent training in Geriatrics and services for their older citizens, and will continue energetically to pursue its goals and meet the challenge for our ageing population.
Last modified: 2009-01-14