The study analyzes physician and hospital utilization patterns of the elderly using 1969 data from the Health Interview Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics to determine why Medicare payments to high income elderly persons are much higher than to low income elderly persons. (Author/BP)

Notes that practice of geriatrics frequently involves interdisciplinary team and that behavior of team members exists on functional continuum, from adaptive to maladaptive. Sees danger of team members with maladaptive behavior, and persons colluding with this behavior, negatively influencing care. Categorizes common maladaptive behavior patterns…

The use of interventions claiming to prevent, retard, or reverse aging is proliferating. Some of these interventions can seriously harm older persons and aging baby boomers who consume them. Others that are merely ineffective may divert patients from participating in beneficial regimens and also cause them economic harm. "Free market…

Suggests a new comprehensive health care relationship between patient and physician to educate the patient to understand mental and physical health and disease and how he can protect his own health. (IR)

Warfarin dosing for thromboprophylaxis in post-operative patients is time-consuming. Warfarin-dosing nomograms can be used in post-operative arthroplasty patients, but warfarin requirements are lower in frail older people. We modified an existing post-arthroplasty nomogram to a frail-friendly version and evaluated its performance in a frail…

Evaluated medical residents and discovered that although they considered detection and treatment of comorbid depression to be important, they knew few of the diagnostic criteria and etiological factors, rarely screened patients for depression and viewed current treatments as only marginally efficacious. Discusses implications for graduate…

To evaluate whether formally trained geriatricians remain in the field of Geriatrics, and to determine their job satisfaction and perceived quality of life, we surveyed the 107 fellows trained over the last 25 years in one accredited geriatric program. Of the 88 physicians who consented to participate, 75% devoted at least half of their practice…

Famous Hispanist and physician analyzes the cultural lag threatening our existence, and identifies the role that medicine, ethics, and moral precepts should play in this struggle. (DS)

Practical Geriatrics, 10 continuing medical education programs, combine lecture, role models on videotape, problem-based learning, and commitment for change. Tests with four groups of community practitioners (n=83) demonstrated the program's effectiveness in inducing change and sparking participant enthusiasm. (SK)

Examined models for predicting treatment decisions of physicians, nurses, and social workers within acute and long-term care settings. Elicited treatment choices to vignettes regarding decisions to allocate scarce medical resource and to withhold treatment from debilitated patient. Primarily medical factors predicted decision to allocate…

Assessed the attitudes of students, faculties, and practitioners associated with two schools of medicine toward gerontologic/geriatric medical education including specific items relating to course content during the preclinical and clinical years. Results revealed a consensus regarding course content in areas such as psychiatry, nutrition, and…

High quality care and teaching in a nursing home require organization of an active medical staff that enhances and does not distract from a physician's commitment to his practice in the office and hospital. The medical residency program at the Jewish Home for the Elderly of Fairfield, Connecticut, is described. (MLW)

To inform the development of educational programming designed to teach providers appropriate methods of exercise prescription for older adults, the authors conducted a survey of 177 physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners (39% response rate). The survey was designed to better understand the prevalence of exercise prescriptions,…

Comparison of opinions of residents in two programs providing different amounts of geriatric training concerning management of four geriatric and two traditional internal medicine problems found all had less confidence about geriatric than traditional problems. Students with more training offered more support for nondiscriminatory care of elderly…

Objective: The authors describe the approval processes for subspecialties and the mechanisms for certification and recertification and review the status of training programs and numbers of diplomates with subspecialty certification. Methods: Published information and relevant data bases were reviewed. To date, 5,327 child and adolescent…