Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Sep;2(3):373-83.
doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-10-00065.1.

Medicine in the 21st century: recommended essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residents

Brent C Williams, Gregg Warshaw, Anne Rebecca Fabiny, Nancy Lundebjerg Mpa, Annette Medina-Walpole, Karen Sauvigne, Joanne G Schwartzberg, Rosanne M Leipzig

Medicine in the 21st century: recommended essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residents

Brent C Williams et al. J Grad Med Educ. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Physician workforce projections by the Institute of Medicine require enhanced training in geriatrics for all primary care and subspecialty physicians. Defining essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residents would improve training for primary care and subspecialty physicians. The objectives of this study were to (1) define essential geriatrics competencies common to internal medicine and family medicine residents that build on established national geriatrics competencies for medical students, are feasible within current residency programs, are assessable, and address the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies; and (2) involve key stakeholder organizations in their development and implementation.

Methods: Initial candidate competencies were defined through small group meetings and a survey of more than 100 experts, followed by detailed item review by 26 program directors and residency clinical educators from key professional organizations. Throughout, an 8-member working group made revisions to maintain consistency and compatibility among the competencies. Support and participation by key stakeholder organizations were secured throughout the project.

Results: The process identified 26 competencies in 7 domains: Medication Management; Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Health; Complex or Chronic Illness(es) in Older Adults; Palliative and End-of-Life Care; Hospital Patient Safety; Transitions of Care; and Ambulatory Care. The competencies map directly onto the medical student geriatric competencies and the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Competencies.

Conclusions: Through a consensus-building process that included leadership and members of key stakeholder organizations, a concise set of essential geriatrics competencies for internal medicine and family medicine residencies has been developed. These competencies are well aligned with concerns for residency training raised in a recent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission report to Congress. Work is underway through stakeholder organizations to disseminate and assess the competencies among internal medicine and family medicine residency programs.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Institute of Medicine. Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2008. - PubMed
    1. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Report to the Congress. Improving incentives in the Medicare program. June 2009. Available at: http://www.medpac.gov/documents/Jun09_EntireReport.pdf. Accessed July 30, 2009.
    1. Blumenthal D., Gokhale M., Campbell E. G., Weissman J. S. Preparedness for clinical practice: reports of graduating residents at academic health centers. JAMA. 2001;286(9):1027–1034. - PubMed
    1. Drickamer M. A., Levy B., Irwin K. S., Rohrbaugh R. M. Perceived needs for geriatric education by medical students, internal medicine residents, and faculty. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21(12):1230–1234. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Warshaw G. A., Bragg E. J., Thomas D. C., Ho M. L., Brewer D. E. Are internal medicine residency programs adequately preparing physicians to care for the baby boomers? A national survey from the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Status of Geriatrics Workforce Study. J Am Ger Soc. 2006;54(10):1603–1609. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources