DGG warns: geriatric further training for orthopedic surgeons endangers patients!

DGG warns: geriatric further training for orthopedic surgeons endangers patients!

In the current debate about the geriatric additional training, movement is surprisingly moving. The German Society for Geriatrics (DGG) expresses sharp concerns about the latest decision of the German Medical Day to open further training for orthopedic surgeons and trauma surgeons. The DGG presidents emphasize that the focus of further training should continue to be on internal medicine and neurology in order to ensure quality standards in geriatric care. So far, the geriatric additional further training has been directed exclusively to specialists for internal medicine, general medicine, neurology or psychiatry, as well as confirmed.

A central argument of the DGG is that specialists are unable to adequately provide geriatric patients without a sound basic training in these areas. "The evidence of high-quality geriatrics comes mainly from internal medicine or neurology, as well as specifically trained specialists in geriatrics that are established in other European countries," explains a DGG spokesman. In addition, the DGG warns that the quality of care of geriatric patients could suffer if specialists such as trauma surgeons and orthopedic surgeons work without corresponding internal or neurological knowledge in geriatrics.

Perspectives and specialist detention detection

The question of how geriatric care will develop remains exciting. The DGG clearly speaks for orthography-diatry co-management in order to optimize the quality of the treatment of elderly patients. Acute-Geriatric departments should be directed according to DGG advances of geriatricians, which are strongly anchored in internal medicine or neurology. In this context, it is also noted that 1.5 years of additional further training in trauma surgery is not sufficient to take into account the needs of old-age dreams, as in the report from the Ärztezeitung can be read.

In Germany, further training for the additional name geriatrics in most federal states is 18 months. Specialist detection in areas of direct patient care is a prerequisite. This recognition can take place in different medical disciplines - from general medicine to internal medicine to neurology and other areas. Likewise, combinations of specialist and geriatrics are offered in several federal states, which enables flexible further training, as can also be explained in medical center.

demographic challenges

An additional aspect that should not go unmentioned are the demographic data. In 2020 there were around 20,465 people in Germany who were 100 years or older. 80% of them were women. These figures illustrate the growing importance of geriatrics, since the majority of geriatric patients are at least 80 years old and often suffer from several illnesses. The holistic approach in geriatric treatment, which also includes psychological and social aspects, is indispensable.

The DGG has also announced that the state medical associations have talks in order to integrate a change in the sample training regulations into the corresponding further training regulations. This procedure aims to jointly evaluate future training designs in the field of geriatrics and ensure that the quality of geriatric care remains passionately preserved.