Depth of Geriatrics, Long-Term Care Expertise on Display at AGS Annual Meeting
At the opening of the 2015 Annal Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), held May 15-17 in National Harbor, MD, the society’s new President Steven R. Counsell, MD, AGSF, delivered a fitting convocation: “We have a lot to be proud of and much to look forward to, which should make us and the older adults we serve very happy!” It was a tone carried by more than 2,600 attendees across more than 700 research presentations and more than 100 educational sessions and opportunities for connecting with colleagues, experts, and friends. Three days after Dr. Counsell’s address, the energy infusing this premier educational event was still palpable—and it certainly does not show signs of stopping!
Henderson Award recipient Robert Palmer, MD, MPH, and Lecturer in Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Rebecca L. Sudore, MD, were among those who demonstrated how the research on display at AGS15 has impacted the future of geriatrics care. Summarizing some four decades of work focused on hospitalization among older individuals, Dr. Palmer stressed how the interdisciplinary, “low-tech, high-touch” nature of geriatrics can improve long-term care quality and health outcomes by employing practical interventions like the ACE unit that can help push patients back from the “black hole of frailty.”
Dr. Sudore explored the need for a paradigm shift in how we approach advance care planning when working with individuals who may have a hard time translating medical expertise into something tangible. Dr. Sudore began her training working with homeless adults at a student-run clinic. Since then, she has helped design a wealth of patient-friendly resources including a modified informed consent process, an easy-to-read advance directive, and an innovative, person-centered advance care planning website (prepareforyourcare.org)—all of which were focal points for her lecture.
This type of scholarship was integral to the AGS conference program, but policy work impacting older adults was also front-and-center among the gathering’s attendees. Michael Malone, MD, and AGS CEO Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, celebrated milestones in AGS’s legislative efforts since 2014. Some—like the repeal of the sustainable growth rate formula—have been years in the making with a host of collaborating organizations, while still others—like the call to encourage Congress to support the Medicare Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Improvement Act of 2015—were unfolding within hours of the conference itself. Paul McGann, MD; Shari Ling, MD; and Darren A. DeWalt, MD, MPH, of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, contextualized this dynamism against the backdrop of our national healthcare system, which continues to move toward rewarding quality as opposed to quantity of care. As these speakers stressed, the future of health and care in the U.S. very much rests on our ability to transition from a volume-focused approach to one that embraces coordinated care centered on patient goals.
Elsewhere at the conference, colleagues from different specialties, public and private entities, and national and international locales shared insights on the latest trends and topics guiding elder care. Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, moderated a plenary symposia on the AGS clinical practice guideline for postoperative delirium, also sharing an overview of a new report and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine focused on cognitive health and aging. Cynthia Boyd, MD, MPH, and Michael W. Rich, MD, FACC, FAHA, AGSF, moderated a presentation summarizing a 2-day workshop sponsored by the AGS, the American College of Cardiology, and the National Institute on Aging, addressing the need for a coordinated research agenda on multimorbidity in patients with cardiovascular disease. The program also featured the inaugural AGS Technology Innovations Pavilion, which brought 12 expert-selected start-ups to the convention for a unique opportunity to interact with geriatrics health professionals.
Speaker handouts are available from GeriatricsCareOnline.org for the sessions noted above and for almost all other educational sessions that comprised the AGS 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting program. And with eyes fixed on Long Beach, CA, for the Society’s next annual gathering in May 2016, submissions are already being accepted at AmericanGeriatrics.org for research presentations and program proposals that will reflect the next phase of progress in improving long-term care, health, and quality of life for the millions of Americans who comprise our older adult population.
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Take a look at some of ALTC's coverage of the conference here. This year revealed offered some tactics for the care of chronic wounds, management techniques for Dementia with lewy bodies, the impact of diabietes on functional status, and an award winning presentation on strategies to reduce Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in patients with Urinary catheters.
