为了介绍巴尔干国家老年医学的状况,因为它是在第16届欧洲老年医学会(EuGMS)大会雅典2021年的第二届大会前研讨会上提出的。
来自8个巴尔干国家的代表(阿尔巴尼亚,克罗地亚,希腊,北马其顿共和国,罗马尼亚,塞尔维亚,斯洛文尼亚,土耳其)回答了3个问题,以反映其国家的老年医学状况:老年医学教育;评估功能状态和虚弱的系统/方法;术前风险评估。随后进行了公开讨论。
在巴尔干国家的医学院中,老年医学的本科教育似乎被低估了,而在研究生水平上观察到高度异质性。只有少数巴尔干国家将老年医学作为公认的医学专业或亚专业。功能状态和脆弱只是偶尔评估,术前风险评估很少以老年病为重点。与老年医学相关的专业知识和结构稀缺似乎很普遍。制定培训课程和与老年医学相关的结构是两个相互联系的方面。医生和多学科团队之间的合作对于老年医学的实践至关重要。最终需要一个功能性的老年网络,而动态的老年专业知识可能是可行且临床相关的起点。为可变临床环境中的紧迫挑战提供务实的解决方案,补充并与每个卫生系统的现有组成部分协调工作,可能是在发展老年医学方面获得政治支持的最有说服力的策略。
巴尔干国家在发展老年医学方面有着共同的经验和挑战。虽然老年医学的原则可能是普遍的,建议的解决方案应适应每个国家的具体情况。巴尔干国家的合作可以促进老年医学的发展。EuGMS愿意促进相关行动。
To present an insight of the situation of geriatric medicine in Balkan countries, as it was presented in the context of the 2nd pre-congress seminar of the 16th European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) Congress Athens 2021.
Representatives from 8 Balkan countries (Albania, Croatia, Greece, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey) answered 3 questions to reflect the state of geriatric medicine in their country: education on geriatrics; systems/methods for assessment of functional status and frailty; pre-operative risk assessment. An open discussion followed.
Undergraduate education in geriatric medicine seems underestimated in medical faculties of Balkan countries, whereas a high heterogeneity is observed at a post-graduate level. Only a few Balkan countries have geriatric medicine as a recognized medical specialty or subspecialty. Functional status and frailty are only sporadically assessed, and pre-operative risk assessment is very rarely performed with a geriatric focus. Scarcity of expertise and structures relevant to geriatric medicine seems to be common. Developing a training curriculum and geriatrics-related structures are two interconnected aspects. Cooperation among physicians and multidisciplinary teams are essential for the practice of geriatric medicine. A functional geriatric network is eventually necessary and ambulatory geriatric expertise is probably a feasible and clinically relevant starting point. Providing pragmatic solutions to the pressing challenges in variable clinical settings, supplementing and working in harmony with existing components of each health system, is probably the most convincing strategy to gain political support in developing geriatric medicine.
Balkan countries share common experiences and challenges in developing geriatrics. Whilst the principles of geriatric medicine are perhaps universal, proposed solutions should be adapted to each country\'s specific circumstances. Cooperation of the Balkan countries could promote in each the development of geriatric medicine. EuGMS is willing to foster relevant actions.