Geriatric Medicine - Section of UEMS

Geriatric medicine - Iceland 
Iceland has a total population of about 360,000 in 2020 (immigrants about 15 %). Two-thirds live in or around the capital, Reykjavík. Contemporary Icelanders enjoy life expectancy at birth of 81,0 years for boys and 84,2 for girls. The percentage of people aged 65 and older is 14,4 % in 2020, and steadily increasing, expecting to be about 24 % in 2050. 
In 2020 there are 17 practicing specialists in Geriatric Medicine in Iceland. 
Geriatric specialist services in Iceland 
• Landspitali University Hospital of Iceland in Reykjavik: Consultations, Acute Geriatric Unit , subacute and rehabilitation units, dementia and psychogeriatric unit, daycare-hospital, specialized memory clinic, and a geriatric outpatient clinic 
• Regional Hospital Akureyri: Consultations, Subacute care, rehabilitation and a geriatric outpatient clinic 

Education and training 
• A curriculum in geriatric medicine is integrated in undergraduate medical training and a part of a specialist curriculum for Internal Medicine 
• A curriculum for geriatric medicine-specialist training in Iceland was approved in 2020. This is a sub-specialty training program for doctors specialized in internal medicine and general practice. The first trainees started in August 2020. 
• Majority of specialized physicians in Iceland have had their postgraduate training abroad, either in Europe or North America. 
• There is one University Hospital and one Professor of Geriatric medicine. 

The Icelandic Geriatric Medicine Society (IGS) 
• The Icelandic Geriatric Medicine Society (IGS) was founded in 1989 and so celebrated it´s 30th anniversary in 2019. Geriatric medicine have been a recognized Medical speciality in Iceland since 1981. 
• Members of the IGS were 25 in the beginning of 2018 and include specialists in Geriatric Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry and Family Medicine. 
• The IGS has been a Full Board Member of the EuGMS since 2007. 

November 2020, Anna Björg Jónsdóttir
 

Prof., Chief of Geriatrics

Pálmi V. Jónsson

Anna Björg Jónsdóttir