European postgraduate training in geriatric medicine: data of a systematic international survey.

INTRODUCTION: High-quality education and training standards in geriatric medicine are important to develop the profession of geriatric medicine. The objective of the study was to give a structured update on postgraduate specialty training in geriatric medicine throughout Europe to assess the need for further developments in postgraduate education. METHODS: The study was performed as a cross-sectional structured quantitative online survey with qualitative comments. The survey content covered organization, content and educational aspects of specialty training in geriatric medicine in European countries. After piloting, the questionnaire was sent to experts in geriatric medicine with a special interest in postgraduate training who are members of one of the following organizations; European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), European Academy for the Medicine of Aging (EAMA), and European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS). RESULTS: Respondents to the survey represented 31 European countries. Geriatric medicine is recognized as an independent postgraduate specialty in 61.3 % (19/31) and as a subspecialty in 29.0 % (9/31) of the countries. In 5 of the 31 countries geriatric medicine is not recognized at all. Nearly all countries offering postgraduate training in geriatric medicine have written, competence-based curricula covering different learning domains. 20/31 countries (64.5 %) have some kind of specialist assessment. DISCUSSION: The survey tries to give an actual condensed picture of postgraduate specialty training in geriatric medicine across Europe. Results show a consistent improvement in the recognition of geriatric medicine as independent specialty over the last decade. Continuous development of specialty training in geriatric medicine is required to medical address the public health needs of an aging population. Competence-based educational models including adequate forms of assessment should be targeted throughout Europe. To emphasize the importance of postgraduate geriatric training, it should be a mission to harmonize training standards across Europe.

Communication skills training in dementia care: a systematic review of effectiveness, training content, and didactic methods in different care settings.

BACKGROUND: Caring for and caring about people with dementia require specific communication skills. Healthcare professionals and family caregivers usually receive little training to enable them to meet the communicative needs of people with dementia. This review identifies existent interventions to enhance communication in dementia care in various care settings. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, AMED, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Gerolit, and Web of Science for scientific articles reporting interventions in both English and German. An intervention was defined as communication skills training by means of face-to-face interaction with the aim of improving basic communicative skills. Both professional and family caregivers were included. The effectiveness of such training was analyzed. Different types of training were defined. Didactic methods, training content, and additional organizational features were qualitatively examined. RESULTS: This review included 12 trials totaling 831 persons with dementia, 519 professional caregivers, and 162 family caregivers. Most studies were carried out in the USA, the UK, and Germany. Eight studies took place in nursing homes; four studies were located in a home-care setting. No studies could be found in an acute-care setting. We provide a list of basic communicative principles for good communication in dementia care. Didactic methods included lectures, hands-on training, group discussions, and role-play. CONCLUSION: This review shows that communication skills training in dementia care significantly improves the quality of life and wellbeing of people with dementia and increases positive interactions in various care settings. Communication skills training shows significant impact on professional and family caregivers' communication skills, competencies, and knowledge. Additional organizational features improve the sustainability of communication interventions.