Geriatric Medicine

- section of UEMS



Delegates:

Helgi Kolk
helgi.kolk@kliinikum.ee

Estonia

Geriatric Medicine in Estonia in 2006
Helgi Kolk University of Tartu/
Estonian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics   The Republic of Estonia

  • Total area- 45 000 sq km; Capital- Tallinn
  • Population- 1 344 000 (2006)
  • 15,9 % over 65 years (2004)
  • Life expectancy at birth (2003)
  Estonia EU
Males 66.0 75.1
Females 76.9 81.2

 


Medical Education
Medical Faculty at University of Tartu
26 departments (9 preclinical, 17 clinical)
6 yrs. undergraduate+ 3-5yrs. specialization
No dept. of Geriatrics Number of practicing physicians 4300
31 physicians per 10.000 inhabitants
Number of geriatricians 0  

Estonian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics

  • Established 1997
  • 154 members  (2005)

professionals working with the elderly (physicians, nurses, social and care workers, managers of care institutions, teaching staff)
representatives of organizations of pensioners, volunteers.

Activity areas of EGGA

  • Training professionals incl. curriculum development
  • Development of guidelines, regulations, standards
  • Research, incl. international projects
  • Producing of educational materials
  • Providing information on ageing and the care of older people in words understandable by the lay public

Studies

  • Study on coping and health of the Estonian Elderly residents, 2000

Saks K, Kolk H et al. Health status of the older population in Estonia. Croatian Medical Journal 2001; 42(6):663-668.
Saks K, Kolk H et al.Prevalence of cardiovascular disorders among older population in primary care in Estonia. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care 2003; 21(2):106-109.

  • Tartu Senior Study, 2002

International projects

  • CARMA- Care of the Aged at the Risk of Marginalization (2003-2005)
  • Tallinn- Helsinki Senior Study, 2004
  • Care Keys-  EU Quality of Life Programs (2003-2005)
  • Nutri-Senex- Improving the quality of life of elderly people by co-ordinating research into malnutrition of the elderly (2004-2006)

Estonian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics
… is member of

  • International Association of Gerontology (IAG)
  • European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS)

Geriatric education developing
50 Geriatricians needed by 2015.
To achieve the aim:

  • establish a critical mass of medical educators in geriatrics (dept. at Medical faculty)
  • postgraduate specialization in geriatrics abroad
  • start (re)training courses

 

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Geriaatria definitsioon

Geriaatria on meditsiini eriala, mis tegeleb eakate patsientide füüsiliste, vaimsete, funktsionaalsete ja sotsiaalsete probleemidega, mis tekivad ägedate seisundite, krooniliste haiguste, rehabilitatsiooni ja preventsiooni ning sotsiaalsete ja elu lõpu olukordades. Need patsiendid on teadaolevalt haprad ja paljude ägedate haigusseisunditega, mis nõuab holistilist (igakülgset) lähenemist. Haiguste avaldumine kõrges vanuses võib olla erinev, mis muudab diagnoosimise keerukaks, ravivastuse hilinenuks ning sageli on vajalik sotsiaalne toetus. Seega ületab geriaatria organspetsiifilist meditsiini, võimaldades täiendavat käsitlust multidistsiplinaarse meeskonna poolt, mille peamine eesmärk on eaka patsiendi funktsionaalse seisundi optimiseerimine ja elukvaliteedi ning autonoomia parandamine. Geriaatria ei ole spetsiifiliselt vanusega seotud, kuid tegeleb eakatel esinevate tüüpiliste haigestumistega. Enamik geriaatrilisi patsiente on vanemad kui 65 aastat, kuid geriaatrilise käsitluse eelised on märgatavamad üle 80-aastaste vanusegrupis esinevate probleemide lahendamisel. Märkus: Ajaloolistel ja ühiskonnakorralduslikel põhjustel erineb geriaatrilise meditsiini korraldus erinevates Euroopa Liidu riikides.