Mapping the landscape of geriatric medicine education, training and practice in Europe

Geriatric Medicine (GM) has evolved in Europe over the past few decades, although variably across countries. The aim of this paper is to explore the GM specialty status, postgraduate and undergraduate education for medical students, nurses and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), academic development and GM clinical services in Europe.

We collected cross-sectional data from 38 European countries as listed by the World Health Organization with an online quantitative survey. This study is part of the PROGRAMMING COST Action, which stands for PROmoting GeRiAtric Medicine in countries where it is still eMergING and is funded by the European Cooperation for Science and Technology.

GM is recognised as a distinct specialty in 24 countries (63.15%), while specialty training is available in 21 countries (55.26%). Principles of GM are included in the undergraduate curricula for medical students in all or most medical universities in 24 countries (63.15%), for nurses in 26 countries (68.42%) and for AHPs in 19 countries (50%). Geriatric hospital wards are present in 28 countries (73.68%), and in eight countries, there are no GM clinical services available, especially in Southern Europe. GM is a standalone academic discipline in 20 countries (52.63%), and advanced academic doctoral study is available in 18 countries (47.36%). GM is more established in Northern and Western Europe.

Our study highlights the inconsistent development of GM across European countries. It provides a foundation for policy development and educational reform to meet the needs of Europe's ageing population.