NYT Article: Older People Need Geriatricians. Where Will They Come From?
The New York Times has published an article, "Older People Need Geriatricians. Where Will They Come From?"
There is a persistent shortage of doctors who treat the oldest and sickest patients, despite geriatricians reporting, "higher career satisfaction than most" specialities. The article interviews the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and other experts in the field about innovative strategies that are being implemented. For instance, geriatricians are helping train whole institutions in the specifics of care for older adults and, "Health systems are adopting age-friendly approaches, like specialized emergency rooms. The American College of Surgeons’ new verification program sets standards hospitals should meet to improve results for older patients."
A 2016 American Medical Association survey found that, "close to 40 percent of patients treated by internists and general surgeons were Medicare beneficiaries."
Photo: Brittainy Newman/The New York Times
To go to the article, click here.
To go to AGS Geriatrics Workforce by the Numbers, click here.
To go to the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, click here.
