Geriatric health care. Older patients and medical consumerism

Aging of the "baby-boom" generation and increased life expectancy will mean a projected population increase of persons 65 and older from 39 to 65 million between 2010 and 2030. Surveys conducted among members of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) reflect their wish to establish a more equal part in the physician-patient relationship and to participate in local and federal health care monitoring and reform. Accordingly, many are asking for health information and are prepared to change heretofore ineffectual communication with the health care system--whether in their personal physician's office or at the federal level. Only a fraction of practicing physicians report geriatrics as a primary or secondary specialty. Family practitioners and internists are likely to continue to provide the major share of medical care to the elderly in the future.