Advanced Geriatrics Evaluation Skills.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Geriatric Medicine
• Primary Care

Background:

• The aging population necessitates specialized training for healthcare professionals.
• Current residency programs offer limited education in geriatric care.
• There is a growing need to upskill primary care physicians in managing older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a 1-day interactive training program on primary care residents' geriatric evaluation skills.
• To improve residents' knowledge and confidence in managing common outpatient geriatric presentations.
• To provide a structured curriculum for geriatric didactics in primary care residency.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the Advanced Geriatric Evaluation Skills (AGES) program.
• An interprofessional faculty team delivered the course to family medicine and internal medicine interns.
• Pre- and post-testing with multiple-choice questions were used to evaluate knowledge acquisition.

Main Results:

• 41% of eligible residents participated in the AGES program over three years.
• Residents rated the course as well-organized, relevant, and beneficial.
• Post-test scores significantly improved, with 90% of residents showing knowledge gains.

Conclusions:

• The AGES program successfully provided structured geriatric training for primary care residents.
• The curriculum was well-received and demonstrated increased resident knowledge in outpatient geriatric care.
• The program offers a valuable model for enhancing geriatric competencies in future physicians.