The Roles and Value of Geriatricians in Health Care Teams

  • Project Description

    The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) estimates that a total of 30,000 geriatricians will be needed to meet care needs by 2020, and there is currently a shortfall of approximately 13,000 geriatricians. The AGS projects that the shortfall will worsen without greater numbers of graduates of geriatrics training programs. However, some healthcare leaders believe that the needs of the aging population can be met by other physicians – including primary care providers – in addition to professionals such as occupational therapists and nurse practitioners. This two-stage project will examine current and emerging roles for geriatricians in the US healthcare system. The first report provides a comprehensive review of the scholarly literature that addresses how healthcare organizations are currently utilizing geriatricians, including their role as part of healthcare teams working in different care settings, and how these roles are expected to change in the future. Findings from this report were used to inform the project’s second stage, a series of key informant interviews with field experts focused on identifying emerging roles for geriatricians, how these roles are being shaped by value-based care payment models, and how changes in geriatric care delivery are influencing professional training and development needs. 



    Key Objectives

    This project aims to answer these questions:

    • What roles do geriatricians play on healthcare teams?
    • How are geriatricians used in different types of health care delivery systems (e.g., integrated group-model HMOs, accountable care organizations, free-standing hospitals, etc.)?
    • What is the current scope of practice and setting of geriatric clinical care, and how are geriatrician roles changing?
    • How are different types of healthcare organizations utilizing geriatricians to maximize their expertise?
    • How is value-based care influencing healthcare organizations’ use of geriatric care models?
    • Are changes in how care to older adults is organized and delivered having an impact on fellowship training or professional development opportunities?


    Contact

    For more information, contact [email protected].