Geriatrics training lacking for health care workers

In North Dakota, which has the second-oldest population in the United States, 40% of health care workers reported that they had never received geriatrics training, according to data presented at the American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting.

In addition, 80% of workers living in rural areas reported that they had no access to a geriatric consultant.

“A considerable number of primary care health care providers in rural North Dakota lack previous and current education in geriatrics,” Donald Jurivich, DO, professor of geriatrics at the University of North Dakota College of Medicine and Health Sciences, and colleagues wrote. “This education gap is further compounded by lack of geriatric consultant services.”

To assess the geriatric needs of North Dakota health care, Jurivich and colleagues administered an online survey to health care workers who were affiliated with University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Services. They received responses from 85 health care workers, of whom half were primary care physicians. Respondents answered questions about geriatrics education. Answers were recorded on a scale of one to five and the data were grouped based on geographic and population distribution.

The researchers found that 40% of respondents reported never receiving geriatrics training and 90% reported not receiving any geriatrics training in the past year. In addition, 80% of the respondents from rural areas reported having no access to a geriatrics consultant. Rural workers specified an educational preference for “coaching” in geriatrics.

“The Health Resources and Services Administration and its Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) seeks to integrate geriatrics into primary health care,” the researchers wrote. “The Dakota GWEP is a collaborative partnership between the newly formed University of North Dakota Geriatrics Department and the largest U.S. provider of rural health care, Sanford Health.” – by Will Offit

Reference:

Jurivich DA, et al. Abstract A73. Presented at: the 2016 American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting; May 19-20; Long Beach, California.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.