Improving Care for an Aging Population: How a Geriatric Medicine Board Review Helps Physicians Apply Core Principles in Practice

The US population is aging rapidly, which presents an additional challenge for primary care physicians as they struggle to keep up with ever-growing healthcare needs. A major demographic shift is underway, with one in five Americans projected to be over the age of 65 by 2030.  

This scenario has become a pressing reality for general internists and family physicians as they deal with an influx of older patients in healthcare settings. However, the current ratio of board-certified geriatric medicine physicians is critically low, with less than 7000 practitioners nationwide. This deficit reinforces the role of primary care physicians in coping with the needs of complex older adults, often without specialized geriatric training.  

That’s where our Geriatric Medicine Board review course comes in. It equips primary care physicians with practical tools and a geriatric-focused treatment approach that’s essential for delivering high-quality care to older adults. As the aging population grows, understanding and applying geriatric medicine principles – such as managing multimorbidity, minimizing polypharmacy, and preserving functional independence – is increasingly vital for all physicians, regardless of specialty or board certification. 

In this context, learning and using geriatric principles can truly reshape general practice. As more physicians find themselves caring for a growing number of older patients, age-informed approaches are becoming essential for providing high-quality family care. To fully grasp why this matters, we must understand what makes geriatric patients clinically distinct and how general physicians can adapt. 

Primary Care for Older Adults: Core Principles in Geriatric Medicine

Older patients aren’t merely adults who have aged ─ they represent a clinically distinct group with specific medical needs, which is why it’s important to consider the core principles that guide certified geriatric medicine physicians. The combination of age-related physiological changes, multimorbid conditions, a decline in normal functions, and chronic impairment in older adults means that standard treatment approaches may no longer work. 

The need for geriatric-informed practice is underscored by survey data showing that geriatric patients of 65+ already account for a substantial portion of primary care: in one analysis, 12,982 surveys from geriatric patients were collected, compared to 62,694 from non-geriatric respondents.  

A Journal of General Internal Medicine article, “Regardless of Age: Incorporating Principles from Geriatric Medicine to Improve Care Transitions for Patients with Complex Needs,” highlighted how geriatric-informed care models can facilitate effective care transitions, boost patient outcomes, and reduce system fragmentation. The authors further argue that care frameworks should be rooted in the principles of geriatric medicine, irrespective of the physician’s position as a general internist or hospitalist. This underscores the importance of a Geriatric Medicine Board Review course for all physicians, ensuring they are equipped to apply these essential principles and improve care for patients with complex needs across all settings. 

Why Older Patients Require a Different Approach 

Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy 

The typical Medicare beneficiary has five or more chronic illnesses and visits more than one physician annually. A CDC report revealed that US adults aged 65 and over are second only to infants under one year in the number of visits made to primary care physicians each year. In contrast, adults 75+ were found to undertake 2.5 to 3 visits annually.  

Data from a Joint Age Wave and JAHF survey obtained from over 2,500 older persons show widespread polypharmacy. On average, older adults take four daily medications, and over 15% are on eight or more. 

The use of five or more medications simultaneously is known as polypharmacy. Polypharmacy has been linked to increased risks of hospitalization, falls, cognitive decline, and even mortality. A study published in the International Journal of Public Health reinforces these concerns. 

Using proven methods of Geriatric Medicine, clinicians can safely deprescribe, monitor for adverse drug reactions, and prioritize treatments that reflect a patient’s overall health objectives. 

Atypical Disease Presentations 

The classic signs of infection, heart failure, or myocardial infarction don’t typically manifest but may take a muted form in older adults. For instance, they may appear as decreased appetite, a disoriented mental state, and a drop in heart function. 

 Recognizing these atypical symptoms can assist in early diagnosis and prevent a lost opportunity for earlier intervention. 

The Role of a Geriatric Medicine Board Review Course in Applying Geriatric-Informed Care 

The “Regardless of Age” article affirms that generalist clinicians who understand and implement geriatric-informed approaches can reduce the chances of readmissions, minimize the risk of adverse drug reactions, and preserve quality of life. 

Ensuring healthcare continuity between care settings will ultimately improve patient satisfaction. 

This is especially important today, as healthcare prioritizes value-based care and delivering measurable, high-quality outcomes. More importantly, it will promote more effective communication between various specialists and care teams, thus improving care delivery for all patients with complex medical conditions, not just elderly patients. 

Practical Applications in Everyday Practice 

Adopting the following strategies can enable primary care physicians to incorporate geriatric principles in everyday practice: 

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment 

A vital yet underexplored component of geriatric care is to routinely assess activities of daily living, the cognitive status of adults, and their involvement in social support networks. 

By employing these evaluations, providers can gain unique insights into particular patient objectives and better identify underlying issues in advance in order to develop tailored treatment plans. 

Reviewing Prescriptions 

Every medication that is prescribed, regardless of whether it is a supplement or an over-the-counter medication, needs to be reassessed. The Beers Criteria is one example of an evidence-based instrument that can be used to assess whether a given medicine is appropriate for use based on its alignment with the diagnosis. 

Care Transition Planning 

Changing between different care settings, such as hospital to home or facility to outpatient clinic, is dangerous for older patients. The article “Regardless of Age” proposes interdisciplinary communication, medication review, and individualized discharge planning as critical components of an effective transition. 

Interdisciplinary Collaboration 

This involves building relationships between key healthcare players like pharmacists, social workers, physical therapists, and other professionals to ensure comprehensive care for complex patients. 

Bridging the Gap with Our Geriatric Medicine Board Review Course 

Treating an older population doesn’t necessarily require you to be a geriatrician. Whether you are serving in outpatient clinics, hospital wards, or a part of transitional care settings, our Geriatric Medicine Board Review course is designed to help clinicians meet the real-world needs of an older patient population. 

Beyond preparing you academically, the course aims to deliver practical, evidence-based instruction on: 

• Co-managing complex comorbidities 

• Performing a geriatric assessment 

• Managing polypharmacy and deprescribing 

• Addressing cognitive and functional decline 

• Enabling effective care transitions 

• Keeping families and caregivers updated on care goals. 

Additionally, the course is adapted to the key CME course requirements, making it a meaningful way to benefit from continuous education. 

Elevate Your Practice: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Patients Today 

Given the rising number of older adults, generalists are now on the front lines of geriatric care. Integrating Geriatric Medicine principles into everyday practice is not merely about good medicine but a critical factor in delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care. 

Our Geriatric Medicine Board Review course offers busy clinicians an avenue to expand their knowledge and skills to live up to the unique challenges of geriatric care. Whether or not you are board-certified, this CME-eligible course offers supplementary tools to elevate your care and better serve the needs of your aging patients. 

Enroll today in our Geriatric Medicine Board Review course and gain the expertise needed to confidently manage the complexities of aging patients. Strengthen your skills, elevate your practice, and lead the way in delivering exceptional care to our growing older adult population.